CONVENTION OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 553 



A paper on "Recent dynamometer tests of broad and narrow tires on 

 different kinds and conditions of roads'' was read by H. J. Waters, of 

 Missouri. Numerous tests at the Missouri Station have shown that the 

 draft of the broad tires (6 in.) is very much lighter in nearly all cases 

 than that of the narrow tires (1^ in.), the difference in their favor rang- 

 ing from 2() to l-*0 per cent. In only 2 cases was the draft of the narrow 

 tire lighter, viz, on a clay road, very soft and sticky, with ruts about 

 18 in. deep full of water, and on a road with loose stones and sand, with 

 water standing on the surface. 



C I). Smith, of Michigan, stated that the results of similar tests at 

 the Michigan Station had confirmed those reported in this paper. 



H. J. Wheeler, of Rhode Island, read a paper on "The recognition of 

 the acidity of upland soils as an indication of their need of calcium 

 carbonate," in which he summarized the results of experiments at the 

 Rhode Island Station and in different parts of the State on the influ- 

 ence of lime in connection with other fertilizers, especially nitrate of 

 soda and sulphate of ammonia, on a large variety of field and garden 

 crops grown on well-drained and acid soil. (E. S. R., 7, p. 850.) 



D. E. Salmon, of this Department, discussed the "Efiect of the 

 tuberculin test upon the dairy." He stated that tubercuhn has been 

 found to be a successful diagnostic in the hands of experienced persons 

 when it has not been used at too frequent intervals on the same animal. 

 He discouraged its promiscuous use by buyers of stock. He maintained 

 that it was useless to kill diseased animals and not to disinfect the sta- 

 bles. The work of inspection and disinfection should be done by exi)e- 

 rienced otticials of the State. Methods of disinfection were briefly 

 described. The free use of hot water or steam for this purpose was 

 recommended, although bichlorid of mercury (1 to 1,000), carbolic acid, 

 and sulphuric acid are effective, but must be used with caution. 



"Should milk be sold on the basis of quality'?" was discussed in a 

 paper by E. B. Voorhees, of l^ew Jersey, who referred to the recent 

 investigations in regard to the quality of milk in cities of Few Jersey^ 

 carried on under the direction of this OfiBce, and gave the results 

 obtained. He considers that the percentage of fat is a safe guide as to 

 the nutritive value of milk, and that if the fat-content standard were 

 adopted the consumer would be protected in the sense that he would 

 receive just what he paid for, and the producer of a high-quality prod- 

 uct would get the advantage of a high price, which fairly belongs to 

 him because of the greater cost of producing milk of a better quality. 



C. C. Georgeson, of Kansas, followed with a paper on " How shall 

 selling milk on the basis of quality be accomplished in the retail trade?" 

 He recommended that each State enact stringent laws which shall pre- 

 scribe detailed regulations of such a nature that if they are lived up to 

 they will insure that none but good milk is ever offered for sale in its 

 borders, and enforce them by appointing a dairy and food commission, 



' U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of Experiment Stations Bui. 35. 



