AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE 9 



our plot work to continue in spite of the shortages of labor and professional 

 personnel and has often helped many farmers, through demonstration or 

 inspiration, to organize their own jobs in a more efficient way. 



EQUIPMENT 



The purchase of new equipment, during the year, has largely been a 

 matter of replacements and repairs. However, a few significant items 

 which add to the efficiency and accuracy of experimental w^ork, more par- 

 ticularly those concerned with those projects directly related to the war 

 effort, have been made possible. 



A new hay baler and tractor were purchased for the University Farm, 

 and have proved to be valuable labor savers in the harvesting of high- 

 quality hay on time. For experimental purposes, ^.rrangements were made 

 to use the baler on other farms on occasion. For our Department of 

 Agronomy a 13-foot weeder and 6-foot harrow (18 discs) were provided. 

 The Department of Horticulture replaced one of its small commercial units 

 with a large home-freezer unit, constructed for investigating the costs of 

 freezing and the storage qualities of home-grown fruits and vegetables. A 

 special micromax automatic temperature recorder has been installed and is 

 now being used in connection with measuring winter injury of orchard 

 fruit trees. This apparatus is adapted to any work in which the accurate 

 measurement and recording of a series of temperatures is necessary. The 

 Department of Agricultural and Biological Chemistry purchased a steam 

 sterilizer (autoclave). Additional motor-stirring equipment for improving 

 the accuracy and efficiency of thiamin and riboflavin determinations has 

 been added in this department. The many determinations required for prop- 

 er sampling of selected fruits and vegetables, both in the raw and preserved 

 stages, makes such equipment indispensable. To approximate the high 

 pressures used for spraying under orchard conditions, the Department of 

 Entomology has acquired a power sprayer (junior Duplex pump with reg- 

 ulator) adapted to attaining high pressures for inside laboratory work. 

 This department has also purchased a motor-driven ball mill for laboratory 

 preparation of insecticidal dusts, and a new laboratory balance adaptable 

 for quick weighing at an accuracy to within two milligrams. The Depart- 

 ment of Agricultural Economics has bought a scriber and templates to fa- 

 cilitate lettering the numerous charts and graphs prepared by the members 

 of that department. 



GIFTS 



In recent months, it has been the very good fortune of the University 

 and Agricultural Experiment Station to receive two interesting and valua- 

 ble gifts. Something more than 50 years ago the late S. Albert Shaw of 

 Hampton became interested in collecting birds and insects. For the re- 

 mainder of a long life he collected assiduously. He died April 8, 1944, at 

 the age of 87, and soon afterwards, his insect collection was received by the 

 University as a gift. Dr. Conklin of this Station has now catalogued the 

 collection and reports a total of 4389 specimens, virtually all of which 

 have been identified by specialists. The collection is largely made up of 

 Diptera (two-winged flies), 3988 specimens, among which are 63 families. 



