148 



the station farm have been hiitl out in plats for field experiments with 

 various crops. Besides this, 20 acres are devoted to grains, grasses, and 

 clovers; 10 acres to vineyard, orchard, garden, and truck patches; 50 

 acres to general field crops, and the remainder is divided into pastures 

 for different breeds of stock, Pign and sheep of different breeds have 

 been added to the live stock of the station as previously reported. 



The station has recently erected a large aud commodious hall, 40 by 60 feet, built 

 for the purposes of the North Louisiana Agricultural Society, which holds its meetings 

 here the last Thursday in each month. The organization of this society dates from 

 the establishment of this station. Its officers are J. M. White, of Lincoln, president, 

 aud L. G. Drew, of Ouachita, secretary. The society is composed of farmers and 

 planters of North Louisiana, and its good work in promoting agriculture and agri- 

 cultural methods and implements, is already felt throughout this portion of the 

 State. 



Farmers of this section are enthusiastic over the station and attend in large num- 

 bers the monthly meetings of the society in Agricultural Hall. The railroads have 

 liberally contributed to this movement by running excursion trains on the day of 

 meetiug from Vicksburg and Shreveport, thus giving the farmers, at a reduced cost, 

 an opportunity of inspecting the work of the station and of enjoying the benefits of 

 the discussions of the North Louisiana Agricultural Society. 



A silo was erected in the barn during the summer and successfully 

 used. The station orchard is in good condition. Variety tests have 

 been instituted with oats, barley, wheat, clovers and other legumes and 

 grasses, A rotation of oats, peas, corn, and cotton has been begun on 

 three plats, with a view to getting light on the value of this system for 

 renovating worn-out soils. 



Field experiments with cotton (pp. 462-476). — These include experi- 

 ments on the manurial requirements of cotton on the soil of the station 

 farm, tests of varieties, and of different distances of planting. 



Effects of fertilizers on cotton (pp. 462-469). — These were special ni- 

 trogen, i^hosphoric acid, aud potash experiments, similar to those above 

 referred to as made at the State Experiment Station (See Bulletin JSTo. 

 56), as well as to those reported in Bulletins Nos. 20, 21, and 22 of the 

 Louisiana Stations (See Experiment Station Eecord, Vol, 1, p. 63). 

 The questions propounded on the respective plats were: (1) Does this 

 soil need nitrogen (or pliosphoric acid or potash) to grow cotton suc- 

 cessfully"? (2) If so, in what form can it be best applied? (3) In what 

 amounts per acre? 



Special nitrogeji experiments. — Nitrate of soda, "mixed minerals," sul- 

 phate of ammonia, cotton-seed meal, cotton seed, compost, and kainit, 

 were used singly and in various combinations, and compared with no 

 manure. The results, as in previous experiments at this station, indi- 

 cate that these particular soils need nitrogen very badlv, but it is not 

 so clear which is the best form to use. Cotton-seed meal gave results 

 slightly better than any of the others, with cotton seed next. This, of 

 course, simply" tends to show that cotton seed or cottonseed meal is a 

 good form in which to apply the nitrogen, without prejudice to the 

 claims of other forms, which may be excellent in their way. From a 

 financial standpoint it seems probable that more than 24 pounds of 



