164 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



STATION STAFF. 



C. E. Thorne, M. S. A., Dir. Wilmon Newell, M. 8., Asst. Ent. 



W. J. Green, V. Dir.; Hort. Clarence W. Waid, B. 8., Asst. Hort. 



J. F. Hickman, M. S. A., Agr. J. C. Burneson, V. S., Vet. 



F. M. Webster, M. S., Ent. William Holmes, Foreman Farm. 



A. D. Selby, B. S., Bot. and Chem. C. A. Patton, Asst. Foreman and Met. 



P. A. Hinman, Bursar. Annie B. Ayres, Mailing Clerk. 



John W. Ames, B. S., Asst. Chem. Cary Welty, Mechanic. 



John F. Hicks, Asst. Bot. Edward Mohn, Supt. Substa. (Strongsville). 

 Lewis Schultz, Supt. Substa. (Swanton). 



LINES OF WORK. 



The work of the Ohio Station during the past year has consisted 

 principally in a continuation of investigations begun in former years, 

 and has included investigations on the physical and chemical composi- 

 tion of soils and the conservation of moisture and fertility; variety and 

 cultural experiments with field and garden crops, together with obser- 

 vations on the growth habits of different species; diseases of plants; 

 entomology; comparison of different breeds of cattle and sheep; feed- 

 ing experiments, with some investigations on the nutrition of animals 

 and studies of the diseases of animals. The station continues to 

 cooperate with this Department in work on sugar beets and tubercu- 

 losis. Studies of problems in the maintenance of soil fertility are 

 conducted on a large scale in five different parts of the State. The 

 horticulturist has been giving special attention to experiments in 

 mulching, irrigation of field plats with pipes, and subirrigation in the 

 greenhouse. The entomologist has made a comprehensive study of 

 the use of kerosene as a spray, and has also paid considerable attention 

 to the use of the Sporotrichum fungus for destroying the chinch bug. 



Under a special appropriation made by the State legislature the 

 station has conducted an investigation on the prevalence of bovine 

 tuberculosis throughout the State, the results of which indicate that 

 while a majority of the cattle of the State are free from this disease, 

 yet it exists in many herds. The tuberculin for this investigation is 

 furnished by the Bureau of Animal Industry of this Department. A 

 late rot of the grape, possibly the white rot, has wrought great destruc- 

 tion to the grape industry of the lake region in Ohio. The station 

 carried on experiments in that region during the past summer which 

 resulted in saving 97 percent of the grapes in vineyards treated, whereas 

 in untreated vineyards the crop was practically all destroyed. The 

 orchards planted by the station upon its removal to Wooster are now 

 coming into bearing, and the station made an exhibit of fruits from 

 these orchards at the last State fair. The inspection of nurseries and 

 orchards, in charge of the entomologist, has been continued with a 

 State appropriation of $15,000 for the years 1900 and 1901. The sub- 

 stations at Strongsville and Swanton have been continued at State 

 expense. 



