SEVENTH A]^]^UAL EEPOET 



OF THE 



DIEECTOR OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERI- 

 MENT STATION AT AMHERST, MASS. 



To the Honorable Board of Control. 



Gentlemex : — The past year has been a prosperous one. 

 The State Legislature has granted your application for the 

 appropriation of means to erect suitable buildings required 

 for much-needed investigations into some special features of 

 plant growth and of diseases of agricultural plants. The 

 plans adopted for the construction of an agricultural and 

 physiological laboratory have been successfully carried out, 

 and the building will be shortly ready for occupation. The 

 expenses incurred in carrying on this work are fairly within 

 the sum assigned for that purpose. 



No serious loss of any description has happened to the 

 property of the State. The various structures of the station 

 are in a well-preserved condition, and the live stock for 

 experimental purposes is at present more complete as far as 

 the different kinds of farm live stock are concerned than at 

 any previous period. 



The experimental work of the year has been, as fir as 

 practicable, in conformity with the plans from time to time 

 presented for your endorsement. No material changes have 

 been made in regard to the principal lines of investigations 

 decided upon during the preceding years. The work in the 

 field, in the barn and in the laboratory, has received, as far 

 as practicable, an equal share of attention. 



Professor Humphrey has devoted much attention to 

 various subjects in his special line of investigation, A 

 detailed description of his work on fungoidal diseases, 

 etc., prepared by him, forms a part of the accompanying 

 annual report. 



The experiments to determine the cost of feed for the 



