6a P. D. 31 



The coopei"ation of the Department of Veterinary Science in carrying forward 

 research projects with reference to diseases of our domestic poultry and in 

 making diagnoses showing the cause of death have been of great assistance. 

 Likewise the work being done by this department in the administration of the 

 law to reduce or eliminate certain poultry diseases is of very definite service to 

 the Massachusetts poultry industry. Through the work thus carried on it will 

 shortly be possible for Massachusetts poultrymen to purchase hatching stock 

 and day-old chicks from known sources practically disease free. The work done 

 under this law has been increasing annually. The record of number of birds 

 tested and percentage of infection found in the testing work of the last four 

 seasons is as follows: 



Number of Birds Percentage of 



Year. Tested. Infection Found. 



1920-21 24,718 12.50 



1921-22 29,875 12.65 



1922-23 33,602 7.60 



1923-24 59,635 6.53 



The number of disease-free flocks found increased from 25 in 1920-21 to 38 in 

 1923-24. 



Soil Fertility and Plant Growth. 



Many different departments of the Experiment Station contribute to work on 

 this subject. Basic studies are being made by the Departments of Plant and 

 Animal Chemistry and of Microbiology; the Department of Botany is carrying 

 on a study relative to effective control of light, particularly in greenhouse cul- 

 ture; and the Department of Agronomy is initiating field experiments on a 

 large scale. The new work started during the year includes a study of crop 

 effect and rotation problems with reference to the onion and tobacco industries 

 of the Valley. Of necessity work such as this must be carried on in a long-time 

 project. 



Tobacco Growing. 



The newly organized research work on tobacco is just completing its second 

 season. An outstanding result is indication of the depressing effect of timothy 

 cover crop on yield and quality of the tobacco crop. This result is contrary to 

 prevalent ideas on the subject, but is confirmed by three years' work carried on 

 on the Tillson Farm. It warrants further investigation. Most of this newly 

 organized field work is under the supervision of the Department of Agronomy. 



The Department of Botany completed its work on wildfire during the year. 

 The seed-bed treatment developed at this Station in cooperation with the Con- 

 necticut Station has proven to be at least fairly effective in controlling this most 

 destructive disease. The possibility of extensive field infestation depends 

 mainly on weather conditions. No successful field control has yet been developed ; 

 and in view of the uncertainties as to its need would probably not be widely 

 utilized by growers even if developed. 



Continued work of the Department of Botany at Tillson Farm has shown the 

 depressing effect of lime on tobacco, particularly in a field infested with black 

 root-rot. The timothy cover crop failed to remedy this condition, despite the fact 

 that it was supposed to be effective in this way. 



The new equipment granted by the Legislature of 1923-24 has enabled the 

 Station to carry on this comparatively new work much more eflSciently than 

 could otherwise have been possible. 



CATALOG OF EXPERIMENT STATION PROJECTS. 



The list of projects in force as of January 1, 1925, and the industries of the 

 State to which these projects apply, together with names of project leaders, are 

 shown in the following table: 



