495 



ativc suiiunaries of tlio soil temperatuie in 1SS8 and 1880 at the college 

 lor the niontlus of May to September, inclusive; and at (jraylin<;- for 

 the months of June to September, inclusive; and for the months of 

 Ai>ril to October, 1880, inclusive, at both places. 



Si(n.shiiiet(')npcyafii)-c (pp. 40-40). — " These observations relate to the 

 maximum and ininiinuni temperatures taken in open air and with lull 

 cx|»osure tothe sun. The sun thermometers in vacuum were used, one 

 with biiii'lit or mercurial bulb and the other blackened by a coating of 

 lami)-black. These were actinometers rather than thermometers. Two 

 other self-recording thermometers, with bulbs of black glass, were used, 

 one at the college, the other at Grayling. All of these thermometers 

 were placed 10 inches above the ground and results read off daily. A 

 minimum thermometer, placed 4 inches above the ground, was used at 

 each station from April to November." Details are giveu in tables. 



i^un.sliiiie record (pp. 40, 50). — A tabulated record of the hours of 

 sunshine daily at the college for the mouths of April to September, 

 inclusive, in 1888 and 1889. 



kStDnmary of meteorological observations at the Michigan Station for the 

 year 1888 (pi>. 51-75). — A tabulated record of daily observations for 

 each month of 1888, " in continuation of the series of observations 

 recorded for the Michigan Agricultural College since 18G3." 



Tile draining in relation to flood and drought (pp. 76-81) —From 

 observations of the eifects of cutting off the forests in Michigan and 

 draining the land with surlace ditches and tile drains, and from experi- 

 meutswith reference to the percolation of water through dry, damp soils, 

 the following conclusions were reached: 



(1) .Siufaco ditcliing in coiijunctiou with dcforestiug may increase llouds and cou- 

 tiibiite to droughts. 



(■2) Tile draining may increase flood at tho " break-up" in spring when the water 

 accumulated in tlie surface soil by tlio joint action of frost and soil capillarity during 

 the winter, and the surface accumulations in the form of snow are suddenly set free 

 by a rapid thaw. 



(■.5) During the warm months tile draining tends to mitigate flood by taking up the 

 excessive rain-fall and holding it in a capillary form, keeping back the sudden flow 

 tiiat would pass over the surface of the soil if not absorbed by it, and escape by 

 floo<l ; and mitigating summer drought by increased capacity of the soil to hold water 

 in capillary form, .and to draw upon the subsoil water supply by reason of tiie 

 increased capillary power of such soil produced by tile draining. 



Miscellaneous analyses (pp. 81-87).— The results are given of analyses 

 of marsh grass, reindeer moss, wheat screenings, wheat bran, and sugar- 

 beets. 



Report of entomologist, A. J. Cook, M. S. (pp. 88-103). — Notes 

 on ex[)eriments with arsenites, reported in Bulletin No. 53 of the 

 station (See Experiment Station Kecord, Vol. I, p. 227); on means of 

 combating the plum curculio; on experiments with insecticides for flea 

 beetles; and on the grain [>lant-louse {Aphis arenae), a new clothes- 

 beetle [Lasioderma scrricornc), the wee grain beetle [Silvanus surina- 



