252 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



partrnent is so important that whenever it becomes necessary 

 to go outside of the station to study the habits of a new 

 destructive insect, and make experiments to learn the best 

 methods for its destruction, special appropriations should be 

 made to defray the expenses. 



Since the establishment of the first experiment station, 

 much has been done in the direction of testing soils and feed- 

 ing plants. This is a work which opens a broad field for 

 investigation, and one which, to be conducted to the best 

 advantage, should be under the supervision of one whose 

 mind is not distracted by outside work which has but little 

 if any relation to the experiments under trial ; in fact, nearly 

 all experiments which are being tried or are likely to be 

 tried in any department of the station, require so much 

 intelligent thought to decide along what lines the next work 

 should be pursued, and such correct measurements, watchful 

 care and good judgment to secure correct conclusions, it is 

 to be regretted that the station is not supplied with ample 

 funds to secure the whole time, and the undivided attention 

 of the professors at the head of each department. 



Many experiments have been and are yet being tried, to 

 ascertain the best and cheapest forms of plant food for the 

 growth of various plants. While this is one of the most 

 important branches of the work with which the station has 

 to deal, it is one of the most difficult ; and it is impossible 

 to make a formula that would give uniform results when 

 applied to different farms, because the plant food which is 

 available for plant growth on one farm may be quite different 

 from that which is available on another farm, at no great 

 distance. While the soil on one farm may be almost entirely 

 deficient in available potash, that on another farm may be 

 very rich in available potash, thus causing a formula cheap 

 and well adapted for one farm to be much more costly than 

 it need to be and yet not adapted to the other; therefore, 

 while we are getting some valuable information from this 

 line of experiments, we must not expect too much with the 

 means which are available in this department. 



Another line of work which seems to be closely connected 

 with this department is that of the discovery of some cheap 

 compound, which, on application to the soil, will make 



