82 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



work and giving notes on the station staff and station equipment; 

 financial statements for the fiscal years ended June 30, 1899 and 1900; 

 a report of the agriculturist giving results of various culture and fer- 

 tilizer experiments; a report of the chemist summarizing the work of 

 the department during the two years; a report of the botanist and 

 horticulturist giving a brief account of citrus experiments under way, 

 pecan culture in Florida, and of three native plants for decorative pur- 

 poses — the Atamasco lily, sparkleberry, and sumac; descriptive and 

 historical notes on the down}^ mildew of the cucumber, with the results 

 of experiments conducted for the repression of this disease; notes on 

 three diseases of celery, with suggestions as to treatment, and a list of 

 about 70 species of fungi collected in Florida; and a report of the 

 entomologist giving notes on a large number of insects observed dur- 

 ing the two years, with the results of several experiments for their 

 repression. 



GENERAL OUTLOOK. 



The station management is directing its efforts toward the develop- 

 ment of the fruit industry, cattle raising, and dairying. The pine- 

 apple industry is growing rapidly and presents several troublesome 

 problems which the station should endeavor to solve. Among these 

 problems is that of discovering a remedy for root blight, which is very 

 troublesome, and that of keeping the land in good condition for this 

 crop. There is need of a thorough study of the physical and other 

 conditions of pineapple soils. Citrus fruits and sugar cane are also 

 important crops and are receiving considerable attention from the 

 station. The feeding experiments and the rotation and fertilizer exper- 

 iments with forage crops have been conducted with a view to devel- 

 oping the cattle-raising industry, especial efforts being directed toward 

 obtaining breeds of cattle thoroughly adapted to the Florida climate, 

 both for beef and dairy purposes. The recent appropriations made 

 by the legislature will enable the station to considerably extend its 

 usefulness in veterinary science, and-also to develop the farmers' insti- 

 tute movement which the college has been carrying on unaided for 

 several years. The increased liberality of the State to this institution 

 is very encouraging, and will, it is hoped, favorably affect the station 

 in a number of ways. Owing to the fact that the college is located 

 outside of the chief fruit growing region of the State, it is very desir- 

 able that the experiments in other localities, especially those with 

 pineapples and citrus fruits, should be put on a thoroughly efficient 

 basis. For this purpose it is essential that the officers in charge of 

 this work should be in a position to be absent from Lake City when- 

 ever the needs of their experimental work elsewhere demand. 



