NOTES. 297 



Porto Rico Station. — At the recent ineetiiifr of the American Association for tiie 

 Advancement (^if Science L. JNI. Underwood read a paper Itefore the bota..ical section 

 on "The location of a tropical research station in Porto Rico," in the course of which 

 he advocated the location of the agricultural experiment station of Porto Rico where 

 it would also be availal)le as a station for general botanical research, and suggested the 

 eastern half of the island, espet-ially the region between Arecibo and Utnado, as pre- 

 senting the most favorable conditions for agricultural experiments and for botanical 

 research, combined with accessibility. His suggestion, as far as it related to the estab- 

 lishment of a l)otanical laboratory for research in connection with the proposed experi- 

 ment station, was embodied in a resolution which was adopted by the section. Thus 

 far the station has not been permanently located, as the island has been looked to to 

 provide the necessary land, and for various reasons none of the tracts yet offered has 

 been accepted. Some preliminary experiments have been undertaken on land which 

 has been leased at Rio Piedras, near San Juan, and temporary stables wilt be erected. 

 The experiments here Will consist largely in the growing of annual crops and vege- 

 tables, together with the propagation, grafting, and assembling of nursery stock that 

 will be needed when permanent lands can be secured. Work has already been 

 commenced in the interior on the improvement of the coffee by selection of seed and 

 by propagating in seed beds prepared for the purpose. As soon as the present crop 

 is gathered an effort will l)e made to improve an old grove by thinning, pruning, 

 reducing the shade, cultivation, and whatever practical methods give promise of 

 good results. James INIackinlay, of New York, has been appointed assistant agri- 

 culturist to the station, and O. W. Barrett, of Vermont, entomologist and botanist. 



Rhode Island College and Station. — B. L. Hartwell, first assistant chemist, has 

 been granted leave of absence for the purpose of taking a course in chemistry at the 

 University of Pennsylvania. G. F. Parmenter, assistant chemist, has resigned to 

 accept a position as instructor in chemistry at Brown University. Martha Austin, 

 assistant chemist, and Thos. H. Taylor, jr., lioultryman, have also resigned. The 

 woi-k of investigation in connection with poultry has been assigned to Cooper Curtice, 

 biologist of the station. The station is now conducting experiments for the purpose 

 of ascertaining the best and most economical means of rearing incubator chicks- 

 Experimental work is also in progress in connection with fowl cholera, goose 

 cholera, and blackhead of turkeys. An old building is being remodeled to suit the' 

 requirements of the work in connection with the rearing of incubator chicks. The 

 entire poultry plant of the station and college has been moved from land leased by 

 the college to a location on the college farm. The agricultural instruction of the 

 college is now in charge of F. W. Card, assisted by J. A. Tillinghast. The latter has 

 general supervision of the college farm and continues in charge of the details in the 

 field experiments. 



South Cakolixa College and Station. — D. H. Henry, B. S., has been appointed 

 assistant chemist of the station. A new incubator and l)rooder house is being built, 

 and a dry house for evaporating sweet potatoes and a laboratory for teaching soil 

 physics, in connection with the agricultural lecture room, are being equipped. The 

 farmers of the State manifested increased interest in farmers' institutes during the 

 past summer. The field institutes were more largely attended, and the college insti- 

 tute had an attendance of nearly 500 representative farmers from every part of the 

 State. Letters requesting information have doul)led in number during the ])ast year. 



Tennessee Station. — S. E. Barnes, a graduate of the Iowa Agricultural College, 

 has been elet-tefi dairyman, vice George A. FHckinger, resigned. Provision has been 

 made for a working farm foreman, so that John R. Fain, who is at present farm man- 

 ager, may have more time to devote to experimental work, esi)ecially in the line of 

 animal husbandry. The uni)recedented flood which swept over the university farm 



