8 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



The work in the field has been more extensive and more 

 varied than in previous years. From four to five acres of 

 worn-out grass land have been turned over. Part of it was 

 ploughed early in the spring, and subsequently, after man- 

 uring, planted with fodder corn for ensilage. The remainder 

 was added, after harvesting the hay crop, to the experi- 

 mental plats for the cultivation of prominent forage crops. 



The experimental portion of the field work during the past 

 year has been described in subsequent pages under the fol- 

 lowinof headinofs : — 



1. Fodder corn raised upon underdrained and exhausted 

 lands, partly manured with one single article of plant food, 

 partly without the use of any manurial matter. 



2. Influence of fertilizers on the quantity and the quality 

 of some prominent fodder crops. 



3. Fodder corn for silos. 



4. Observations concerning the adaptation of some prom- 

 inent fodder crops new to our section of the country. 



5. Experiments with potatoes. 



6. Experiments with root crops. 



7. Miscellaneous field observations. 



Some of these experiments are continuations of investi- 

 gations inaugurated in previous years ; others are new addi- 

 tions, and are more or less relating to the question of an 

 increased economical supply of fodder, and the relative 

 nutritive character of prominent farm crops. 



The examination of fruits with reference to their mineral 

 constituents, for the purpose of assisting in the introduc- 

 tion of a rational system of manuring large and small fruit- 

 bearing plants, has been continued. In this connection 

 several prominent varieties of apples, and of samples of 

 apple pomace, have been tested regarding their value as 

 fodder for farm live stock. More extensive grounds have 

 been rented from the college for a new orchard, to improve 

 the chance for studying the relation between healthy and 

 diseased fruit-bearing plants. 



The local weather observations have been continued, al- 

 though the direct supply of the farmers' bulletins of the 

 Sisfnal Service Bureau have been withdrawn. 



The work in the chemical laboratory has been quite ex- 



