1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 23 a 



12. A study of so-called "tobacco sickness." 



The last two have been taken up durmg the past year; the others 

 named have already engaged our attention for some time. 



Since this statement was prepared special stabling accommo- 

 dations and equipment have been provided, and horse feeding 

 experiments which it is planned to make both thorough and 

 scientific have been begun. 



Preparations for putting out a plantation of swamp blue- 

 berries, Vaccinium corymbosum, for experiments in co-operation 

 with the Bureau of Plant Industry of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture have been made during the year. 



THE ASPARAGUS SUBSTATION, CONCORD. 



The sudden death of Mr. Charles W. Prescott which occurred 

 in December was not only a great shock to his many friends but 

 a serious loss to the work with asparagus at the substation in 

 Concord. Mr. Prescott had been in local charge of the work 

 from its inception until the date of his death. It was a work in 

 which he was intensely interested, a work for which he was 

 qualified to an unusual degree. He was a skillful farmer; he 

 understood the requirements and the care of the asparagus crop 

 as these are understood by few. Not only were all suggestions 

 faithfully and enthusiastically carried out, but Mr. Prescott 

 was himself the author of numerous valuable suggestions, and 

 the work from start to finish owed much to his knowledge, ex- 

 perience and unfailing devotion. 



It will be remembered by readers especially interested in as- 

 paragus that two distinct lines of work have been carried on in 

 Concord, — first, an investigation into the plant-food require- 

 ments of the crop; and second, breeding in the effort to produce 

 rust-resistant strains with desirable commercial characteristics. 

 It will be remembered, further, that the plant-food investiga- 

 tions were discontinued at the end of last season. A brief re- 

 port on the general results and advice based thereon were 

 included in my last annual report. 



The breeding work, in co-operation with the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry of the United States Department of Agriculture, has 

 been continued, and as heretofore has been in local charge of 



