\ 



P.D. 31. 5tt 



sale costs of food in Massachusetts are but slightly higher than in other competing 

 states. Over against this is the fact that the retail costs of food are from 14 to 17 

 per cent higher, on an average of costs in a weighted dietary, than in other compet- 

 ing sections. Somewhere in the costs incident to the handling, sale and distribu- 

 tion of food within the State are costs apparently not incurred in the same degree 

 in other sections. This, however, must be considered as merely the starting point 

 for further investigation. 



There has been continued progress in the nursery certification work, organized 

 under the Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association, and based on Dr. Shaw's 

 study, "Tree Characters of Fruit Varieties." About 65,000 nursery trees were 

 certified. This work is not properly experimental, despite the fact that it is a 

 charge against research funds. The only apparent way in which the research 

 studies thus far made can be u.sed to good advantage is in continuing the work 

 until men and organizations can be trained to give service in certification of vari- 

 eties. Sufficient progress should be made by another season to permit of the 

 Station withdrawing from this commercial service phase of the investigation. 



From the Market Garden Field Station as well as from other experiments in 

 Amherst, have come some rather striking contributions to the ever-present 

 problem of fertility maintenance. At both places there have been certain areas 

 of land which have been maltreated over a period of years; in the one case for 

 more than a generation, in the other since the Field Station was first started in 

 1918. The significant fact developed is that, even when the producing power of 

 the soil drops to a low level through neglect or maltreatment, injury is not perma- 

 nent. At the Market Garden Field Station areas of land unfertilized for five years, 

 but this last year receiving a hea\'y application of chemical fertilizers, gave crops 

 nearly as good as those receiving normal treatment. At the home station, the 

 depressing effect of past one-sided fertility treatment was overcome in a single 

 season by what may be called a normal optimum application of manures and 

 fertilizers. 



The work carried on in the eastern part of the State during the past three seasons 

 on the control of apple scab has been brought to a successful and satisfactory con- 

 clusion. Professor Webster S. Krout was originally in charge of this investigation, 

 more lately his successor Professor William S. Doran. The co-operation extended 

 to the Station by the Nashua Fruit Growers' Association, and by the Farm Bureaus 

 of Worcester and Middlesex Counties was extremely gratifying. The same may 

 be said of the co-operation of those indi\'idual fruit growers who placed their 

 orchards at the disposal of the Experiment Station for spraying investigations, 

 and who in other ways co-operated to make the work successful. As a result of 

 this effort, the fact that the destructive apple scab may be controlled, and at an 

 expense but slightly greater than that ordinarily incurred without such control 

 has been convincingly demonstrated. 



Another interesting and valuable piece of work which has yielded concrete 

 results is that carried on by Mr. Worthley in his study of the control of the squash 

 vine borer. For years this insect has served to decrease local interest in the pro- 

 duction of squashes and to increase the cost of this vegetable regardless of where 

 it was produced. The only methods of control suggested were unsatisfactory, 

 and exceedingly expensive. By the new method the egg of this insect is killed, 

 whereas most previous methods of attack had attempted to kill after the larva 

 had worked its way into the stem of the plant and commenced its destructive 

 attack. 



The work in the breeding of poultry as established first by Dr. Goodale and car- 

 ried on more recently by his successor. Dr. Hays, continues to bring striking and 

 most important results. The building of a house for lajdng hens enables the Sta- 

 tion to project its work to a later age period than was formerly possible. In this 

 and many other ways the project promises even greater service in the future than 

 has been given in the past. 



The investigation of the natural vegetation on permanent pastures, as conducted 

 on the Tillson Farm, has given most valuable data. These permanent pastures 

 should be the backbone of the Massachusetts dairy industry. So depleted have 

 they become, however, during the years of continuous pasturage, and so foul 



