204 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



present indications are that the crop will yield at least double the cost 

 of production, nearly three-fourths of which is due to the erection of 

 the shade and hence is in the nature of a permanent improvement. 



Another successful line of work in the tobacco investigations has 

 been the fermenting in bulk of the type of leaf grown in Lancaster 

 County, Pa., instead of in tightly packed cases. The first experiment 

 was made on an old crop which had not fermented b}^ the usual case 

 method, but had developed a considerable amount of black rot. Bulk 

 fermentation proved perfectly successful, the qualit}" of the leaf being 

 improved and the black rot checked entirely. Subsequently over 

 4,000,000 pounds of tobacco was fermented in })ulk under the direc- 

 tion of the Bureau by several of the leading packers, with a total loss 

 of only 35 pounds from black rot and all other causes. The success of 

 this method of fermenting the tobacco, both in improving the quality 

 of the leaf and in controlling the dreaded black rot, appears to be 

 assured, and it is confidently predicted by the packers themselves that 

 the new method will entirely supersede the old, especially where large 

 crops are handled. 



A distinct h' new line of the soil investigations will be developed 

 under Prof. F. H. King, who has recently been added to the personnel 

 of the Bureau. This will consist of investigations directly related to 

 problems in soil climatology and soil management. The Division of 

 Soils was orignally organized in the Weather Bureau "to investigate 

 the relations of soils to climate and organic life." This feature of its 

 work has not been lost sight of, although it has in large measure been 

 crowded out b}" the development of the work in other directions. The 

 establishment of this line of research as a permanent feature of the 

 work of the Bureau is in conformity with the general plan of reorgan- 

 ization, and is looked upon as an important step in strengthening and 

 extending its activities. 



As at present organized the Bureau embraces the following branches: 

 Administrative, in charge of Milton Whitne}"; soil chemistry, F. K. 

 Cameron; soil physics, Lyman J. Briggs; soil surveys — eastern division, 

 C. W. Dorsey, western division, T. H, Means; tobacco investigations, 

 M. L. Flo3^d, and soil climatology, F. H. King. This completes the 

 organization of the Bureau for the present. The plan will be to 

 develop the branches of field and laboratory investigations already 

 provided for and to extend the soil survey as rapidly as possible, estab- 

 lishing new branches only as they may be called for in the develop- 

 ment of the present lines. 



Several of the colleges in the West are deriving some income from 

 the lands granted them under the Morrill Act by leasing them for graz- 

 ing purposes. While the rental for such lands is very low, in a num- 

 ber of cases it nets a considerable sum in the aggr«jgate. A decision 

 recently rendered by the supreme court of Montana on the disposi- 

 tion of such funds is of interest in this connection. The leases on lands 



