KHODE ISLAND. 177 



GENEEAL OUTLOOK. 



The appropriation for the current year provides for the establish- 

 ment and maintenance of an agricultural experiment station in Porto 

 Rico, in accordance with this provision, steps have been taken for the 

 establishment of such a station. As the appropriation available this 

 year is not sufficient for the purchase of a tract of land suitable for the 

 permanent location of the station, it was decided to start some 

 experimental work on a temporary basis. 



For this temporary work 30 acres of land adjacent to the town of 

 Rio Piedras has been leased, together with a large frame house, which 

 serves as a residence and office for the special agent and also furnishes 

 accommodations for laboratories and a library. In addition to this the 

 local normal school has donated temporarily the use of 40 acres of 

 land for experimental purposes. The necessary horses, mules, and 

 oxen have been secured and a stable constructed for their shelter. A 

 farm wagon, an ox cart, several plows and harrows, together with 

 garden and horticultural tools, have been secured, and a piece of land 

 has been cleared of weeds, banana stumps, etc., and plowed. Bulbs, 

 tubers, and quite a variety of vegetables have been planted, and a large 

 number of vegetable seeds have been distributed to farmers. Coopera- 

 tive work was commenced October 1, 1901, on a coffee plantation, with 

 the object of improving methods of growing coffee in Porto Rico. 

 Investigations have been started also to discover means for combating 

 certain troublesome insects and fungus and bacterial diseases of plants. 



The station has arranged to cooperate with the Bureau of Soils of 

 this Department in making a soil survey of a portion of the island, 

 beginning January 1, 1902. The organization of a regular station 

 staff has been begun, the force now including the special agent in 

 charge, the entomologist and botanist, and the farm foreman. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, Kingston. 

 Department of Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arte. 



GOVERNING BOARD. 



Board of Managers: Henry L. Greene (Pres.), River Point; Jesse V. B. Watson 

 ( V. Pres.), Wakefield; C. H. Coggeshall (Clerk), Bristol; Melville Bull (Treas.), New- 

 port; Benj. A. Jackson, Providence. 



STATION STAFF. 



John H. Washburn, Ph. D., President of the College. 



H. J. Wheeler, Ph. D., Dir.; Chem. George E. Adams, B. S., Assl. Field Expt. 



Fred W. Card, M. S., Ilort. Alfred W. Bosworth, B. S., Asst. Chem. 



Cooper Curtice, D. V. S., M. D., Biol; L. P. Sprague, Asst. Ilort. 



Poultryman. Nathaniel Helme, Met. 



Burt L. Hartwell, a M. S., Asst Chem. S. Aline Nye, Sten. 



Jas. W. Kellogg, B. S., Asst. Chem. Mary G. Schermerhorn, Sten. 



a On leave. 

 H. Doc. 334 12 



