48 EXPERDIEXT STATION. [Jan. 



progress rclntivc to calf meal substitutes for milk in rearing 

 (lairv calves, and also to the cost of milk production. 



Papers relative to the digestibility of cattle feeds and on corn 

 best suited for the silo in JMassachusetts will be found elsewhere 

 in this report. 



4. Eeport of the Fertilizer Section. 

 Mr. II. D. Ilaskins makes the following report : — 

 The work of the division has been devoted chiefly to the in- 

 spection of commercial fertilizers, although quite a variety of 

 other work has also claimed attention. The collection and 

 analysis of the various brands of agricultural lime sold in the 

 Massachusetts markets was made during the early winter 

 months ; these have served in the preparation of a lime bulletin 

 (jSTo. 137), which was published in April. The complete ash 

 analysis of 19 samples of asparagus roots has also been made 

 in connection with the Concord field experiments; analytical 

 work has likewise been completed on 44 samples which was be- 

 gun during the previous year. Complete ash analyses have 

 been made on 4 samples of corn kernels and 4 samples of corn 

 stover in connection with field experiments conducted by the 

 agricultural department. Considerable work has been done in 

 the study of normal tobacco soils and subsoils in order to obtain 

 comparative data in connection with cases of overfertilization 

 or malnutrition ; the analyses will be found in a short article 

 entitled " Tobacco Injury due to Malnutrition or Overfertiliza- 

 tion," to be found on later pages in this report. An unusually 

 large amount of time has been devoted to co-operative work in 

 connection with the Association of Official Agricultural Chem- 

 ists. "Work was done on nitrogen and potash, and the writer 

 has served in the capacity of referee on phosphoric acid. The 

 planning of this work, the preparation of the samples to be 

 used by various chemists in obtaining analytical data, and the 

 subsequent ]>reparation of the report presented to the associa- 

 tion took both time and energy. As the object, however, is to 

 improve our present methods of analysis, and to introduce new 

 and better methods, the \\mo was unqiK^stionably well spent. 

 The examination of home-mixed fertilizers, refuse by-products 



