154 ELEVENTH ANKUAL REPORT 



crop as a total failure. Mr. George Tuttle says that it was a 

 difficult matter to find even a few to display this season. His 

 is the orchard from which we reported over a thousand baskets 

 last vear. , 



While the fruit crop has been small, there nevertheless has 

 seemed to be an awakening in fruit-growing which promises 

 to result in a deeper interest. At the winter meeting of the 

 state board of apiculture and the dairv convention held at 

 the college last December, one clay was, set aside for discussing 

 tlie growing of fruit. The summer meeting of the State Horti- 

 ctutural Society, known as '^'^Strawberry da}'," which has grown 

 in popularity the past few years, was well attended again this 

 summer. The society and its friends met at the experiment 

 station on June 29, imder the auspices of the department of 

 horticulture. Over one hundred varieties were displayed and 

 partaken of, and after an informal meeting the visitors visited 

 the strawberry patch, buildings, and grounds. The photo- 

 graph. Fig. 53, shows a part of this gathering directly after 

 lunch. 



Fraxk '\V:\r. Raxe, 



Horticidtiirist. 



DEPAETMEXT OF AGEICULTIRE 



During the past year the work of the department of agri- 

 culture has consisted of studies in an experimental way of 

 some of the practical questions connected with agriculture. 



Two divisions of work have been outlined: Animal Nutri- 

 tion and Soil Physics. 



In the first, the dairy herd, horses, and swine have been 

 used in the studies. In the second, studies in soil improve- 

 ment, soil moisture, physical treatment of soil, methods of 

 applying manures, corn culture, clover culture, etc., have been 

 made. These same lines of work will be continued during 

 tlie coming year. 



