SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



DIRECTOR OF THE STATE AGRICULTURAL EX- 

 PERIMENT STATION AT AMHERST, MASS. 



To the Honorable Board of Conlrol. 



Gentlemen : — The work carried on at the experiment 

 station during the past year, has been, as far as practicable, in 

 conformity with the plans presented for your consideration 

 at the first quarterly meeting of the Board. 



The farm-house, originally designed for ofiice and working 

 rooms, has been changed into a dwelling-house for the farm- 

 er of the station, retaining one room for keeping the farm 

 records. The grounds around the farm buildings have been 

 rendered attractive by improvements in the roads and other- 

 wise. 



An experienced practical farmer, for several years previous 

 tried in the service of the college, has been engaged since 

 the first of April, 1884, to carry out, as directed, the prac- 

 tical work in the field and barn of the station. 



Part of the stables for keeping animals for feeding experi- 

 ments, have been fitted up, at an early date of the season, to 

 meet the temporary requirements in that direction. Three 

 feeding experiments — two with milch cows and one with 

 pigs — are described within this report. Others are in prog- 

 ress, and will be reported, as soon as finished, in our periodi- 

 cal bulletins. 



The work in the field has been in several directions, and 

 to the full extent of the present resources. The under- 

 drained plats described in the previous report, have been 

 again planted with corn w^ithout manuring, to prepare them 

 for special trials with various manurial substances, in connec- 



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