NEVADA. 145 



Another act of the last legislature provided for the establishment of a 

 state hvfrienic laboratorv to be located at the universitv. W. B. Mack, 

 veterinarian and bacteriologist of the station, was placed in charge of 

 this work, for which an appropriation of $8,000 for two years was 

 made. 



Investigations were actively prosecuted during the year with the 

 Adams fund on breeding of alfalfa, monographing the genus Tri- 

 foliuni, equine anemia, and meteorological and climatological studies 

 on Mount Rose, and marked progress was made in all of these 

 projects. Preliminary reports on equine anemia and on progress in 

 the observations on Mount Rose, 190G-7, have been published." In 

 connection with the project relating to the influence of soluble salts 

 in the soil in relation to native i)lant growth, a large number of sam- 

 ples of soil taken from the Carson Valley were examined with special 

 reference to water-soluble constituents, and transpiration experiments 

 were made Avilh wheat plants grown in water extracts of various 

 types of the soil. The investigations on the digestibility of native 

 grasses and forage plants were completed and have been partially 

 reported upon.'' Investigations on poisonous plants were temporarily 

 discontinued during the year, pending the appointment of a research 

 chemist. The studies of parasitism of the codling moth and of the 

 food habits of Aphidia and Inocellia were interrupted during the 

 year by severe spring frosts, which destroj^ed the apple crop and so 

 nearly exterminated the codling moth that there was little or no 

 material for study. 



In addition to the above Adams fund projects, experiments were 

 continued with apples and ornamental trees and shrubs, including 

 tests of varieties, methods of culture, and adaptability. A study of 

 the flora of the State was also continued by the botanist. 



In animal husbandry and agronomy, investigations and experi- 

 ments were made on duty of water in the growing of wheat, oats, 

 alfalfa, and roots; time of irrigation as related to yield and composi- 

 tion of grain in the case of wheat and oats, in cooperation with the 

 chemist; breeding of drought-resistant varieties of wheat, oats, and 

 alfalfa; the growing of grain and alfalfa without irrigation; diges- 

 tion experiments with alfalfa hay and silage, in cooperation with 

 the chemist ; cost of milk and butter production and tests of the value 

 of dairy breeding in milch cows; production of winter lambs for the 

 San Francisco market; and production of high-class breeding stock 

 with Percheron horses, Berkshire swine, and Shropshire, Hampshire, 

 and Dorset Horn sheep. The irrigation experiments were carried 

 on as in previous years in cooperation with this Office. 



" Nevada 8ta. Buls. G7 and GS. ^ Nevada Sta. Hul. 64. 



4604 .'j"— 10 10 



