367 



111 tlic dairy tlie relations of bacteria to the souring- and creaniino- 

 of milk liavo been more clearly defined, and it has been shown that 

 the flavor of butter dei)ends in laro-e iiKMsm-e on the control of bacteiia 

 during' tlie i»rocesses of butter making-, 



t^tudies of tlie bacteria which canse the fermentation of tobacco diir- 

 iiiii the process known as bnlkino-, luive indicated tliat tlie kinds ot 

 bacteria vary in different varieties of tobacco, Wlicn ]»iirc cultures of 

 the bacteria peculiar to any sort of tobacco Avere used for inoculatiu.o- 

 tobacco of another sort, it w^as found that they induced the sanu' taste 

 and aroma observed in the tobacco from whi(;h they wtue derived. This 

 suo'gests that tobacco of poorer quality may be improved by inocuhit in.;;- 

 with bacteria pe(;nliar to the choicer sorts. 



Feeding experiments with dairy cows at several of <mr stations have 

 brought out interestino- data rc^gardiiio- the influence of difl'erent rations 

 on the quality of butter. The results of a very thorough series ot 

 experiments by Fleischmaim, an account of which may be found on ])age 

 424 of the present number of the Ifecord. indicate that both the abso- 

 lute and relative amount of fat in milk can be changed by varying 

 the rations of cows. 



In horticulture a series of experiments at the Xew York Cornell 

 Station have shown striking effects on plant growth from the use of the 

 electric light in greenhouses, and have considerably extended our infor- 

 mation on this interesting subject. Already it is reported that some of 

 these results have been confirmed by independent experiments by a 

 market gardener in Massachusetts. Exjjeriments at the Massachu- 

 setts Hatch Station indicated that an electric current transmitted on 

 wires laid in the soil near the roots of lettuce, jnomoted the vigorous 

 growth.of the plants. It now seems i)rol)able that electricity will at 

 no distant day help to supijly our tables with green vegetables througli- 

 out the winter. 



This Office has recently issued the first installments of a general 

 index of the literature of agricultural experiment stations and kindred 

 institutions. In view of the mass and variety of this literature, the 

 desirability of a general index has impressed itself upon this Office 

 from the time of its organization. The need of such an index has also 

 been deeply felt by the station workers and has often been expressed 

 in their meetings and through correspondence with this Office. The 

 importance of the work made it all the more necessary that the plans 

 for its accomplishment should be carefully matured. This and various 

 other considerations have made it impracticable to begin the issuing 

 of the index until the present time. 



Much study has been devoted not only to the general plan and 

 arrangement of the subject matter of the index, but also to the typo- 

 graphical and other details. The advice and assistance of station 



