178 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The work of the Porto Kico Station is beiiif^ well received by the 

 people, as is shown hy the appropriation for the new building men- 

 tioned above, ^^'hile not overlooking the scientific asi)ect of the 

 dirt'erent problems, particular attempts are being made to bring out 

 the economic possibility of the results obtained, 



RHODE ISLAND. 



Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, Kingston. 



Department of Itbotle Island College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts. 



II. J. Wheeler, Ph. D., Director. 



Very little change was made in the affairs of the Rhode Island 

 Station during the year. Several changes in the corps of station 

 assistants took place but otherwise the personnel renuiined the same 

 as the year before. The State made no appropriation for buildings 

 or for general maintenance. 



The work on practically all Adams fund projects progressed satis- 

 factorily. In the potash versus soda investigations, carried on with 

 beets, onions, and potatoes, it was found that with potatoes the yield 

 was smaller where soda had been applied, but that the tubers were 

 richer in nitrogen, containing up to 2 per cent or more in the dry 

 matter. Using like weights of tubers grown w^ith soda and with 

 potash fertilizers, about double the yield of potatoes was secured 

 from the soda-grown seed. A study was made of the nitrogen con- 

 tent of the seed on the influence of the yield, but the results so far 

 do not seem to indicate that the application of nitrogen to the soil 

 counterbalances the extra amount of nitrogen in the tubers. 



The work on the residual effects of the different crops is bringing 

 to light some interesting results. Where mangels and beets had 

 been grown onions were injuriously affected. Pot-culture tests indi- 

 cated that phosphoric acid was lacking where beets and mangels 

 had been grown and where onions were poor. Striking results were 

 also arrived at in the investigations on turnips as an indicator of 

 the fertilizer needs of the soil, and a large amount of data was se- 

 cured in this connection. The project on the influence of physical 

 soil factors and the various chemicals upon the growth of vegetables 

 and flowering plants under glass was continued with roses and 

 carnations. 



The studies on the blackhead disease of turkeys and its communica- 

 bility to other fowls and birds were essentially studies of the biology 

 and life history of the coccidium, which was found very resistant to 

 heat, cold, and various chemicals. The organism seemed most sus- 

 ceptible to potassium permanganate. In connection with the project 

 on the loss of incubator chicks, coccidia were also studied, as well as 



