1901.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 5 



digestive and milk-secreting organs ; (<?) that linseed oil 

 effected a noticeal)lc change in the composition of the l)utter 

 fot, causing a decrease in the volatile acids and an increase 

 in the melting point and iodine coefficient ; (e) and that 

 cotton-seod meal produced butter fat quite similar in com- 

 position to that produced by the standard ration. 



In experiments to show the feeding value of barnyard mil- 

 let, it is shown : («) that the millet has less nutritive value 

 than corn, for the reason that it must l)e cut when in early 

 blossom to secure it in the most desirable condition for feed- 

 ing, while the corn can partially mature its grain and still be 

 readily eaten l)y animals ; (h) that it is not suitable for hay 

 and is inferior to maize as a silage crop ; (c) that it fur- 

 nishes quite a desira])lc green feed, especially during the 

 month of August, and for this purpose can be most satis- 

 factorily utilized. 



A study of the effects of different chemical solutions on 

 germination brought out some interesting fiicts. The solu- 

 tions formed from those sul)stances known to exist in seeds 

 and seedlings were of two kinds : ferments, as diastase and 

 ■pepsin ; and amides, as asparagin and Icucin. In each ex- 

 periment one hundred seeds were used, the solution varying 

 in strength from one-tenth per cent, to two per cent. The 

 seeds were soaked in the solution for twelve hours, then 

 rinsed in water and placed in Zurich germinators. With 

 asparagin as the solution on such seeds as vetch, rape, al- 

 falfii, the average percentage of germination for normals was 

 seventy-four and five-tenths per cent. ; for the treated was 

 eighty-eight and eight-tenths per cent, and an acceleration 

 of germination in several seeds. With leucin on buckwheat 

 and alfalfa the average of three experiments gave eighty- 

 three per cent, for normal and ninety-two per cent, for 

 treated. With pepsin and diastase there was in like manner 

 a gain of about ten per cent. 



Great complaint having been made of the difficulty of 

 growing asters, fifteen thousand were grown under different 

 conditions of fertilizers, varieties, localities, time of planting 

 and methods of handling. A peculiar and obscure disease 

 was made out, not resulting from organisms of any kind. 



