112 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



LINES OF WORK. 



The work of the Maryland Station during the past }^ear has included 

 chemical investigations, especially fertilizer tests, curing experiments 

 with tobacco, feeding experiments, studies of milk preservatives, and 

 of the digestibility of raw, pasteurized, and sterilized milk; dairy work, 

 including bacteriological studies; field experiments with fertilizers 

 and staple crops to test varieties, methods of culture, value of early 

 and late planting, etc.; soil inoculation experiments; horticultural 

 investigations, including greenhouse experiments, plant improvement 

 by selection and breeding, and variety tests of fruits; studies in plant 

 pathology, especially peach yellows, diseases of pears and apples, 

 asparagus rust, cantaloupe blight, and diseases of carnations; entomo- 

 logical investigations. The station is cooperating with farmers in the 

 State in a large number of experiments and with this Department as 

 follows: With the Bureau of Plant Industry, in cereal investigations, 

 a variety test of sweet potatoes, a study of the influence of origin of 

 red clover seed on yield of crop, and experiments to determine the 

 best crops for use in securing a continuous soiling series for dairy and 

 farm stock; and with the Bureau of Chemistry, on the gluten content 

 of wheat and on the influence of environment on the sugar content of 

 muskmelons. 



The divisions of plant pathology and entomology of this station are 

 mostly occupied with inspection work connected with the State horti- 

 cultural inspection law, but conduct careful investigations in order 

 to determine the best methods of procedure in carrying out the pro- 

 visions of the law. The veterinary division is attached to the station 

 in the capacity of a department for consultation rather than for 

 research work, but at present the veterinarian is also studying 

 mammitis or garget, parturient paresis or milk fever, and acute 

 hemorrhagic encephalitis of horses. This last disease has been posi- 

 tively identified within the last few months and is not, as commonly 

 supposed, cerebro-spinal meningitis or staggers. In the chemical 

 division the effect of preservatives on the digestibility of milk for 

 calves has constituted quite a lengthy investigation and is still in 

 progress. The station has recently inaugurated a system of appren- 

 ticeships in dairying and horticulture, furnishing young men board, 

 room, and instruction along practical lines in consideration of their 

 working several hours each day for the station. Station officers assist 

 in farmers' institute work which is supported by a State appropriation 

 of $4,000 in charge of the college. 



The personnel of the station staff has suffered numerous changes 

 during the year. The entomologist and plant pathologist and their 

 assistants and the assistant soil physicist resigned to accept more desir- 

 able positions. Four of the vacancies have been filled, but that of 



