48 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



ens and many other greenhouse plants. The results of the 

 investigation are nearly ready for publication, but it seems 

 desirable to first clear up a few remaining points upon the 

 habits of the worm, which are not well known. 



Experiments are also being made upon the different meth- 

 ods of pruning tomatoes, and upon the best light conditions 

 for assimilation in greenhouse cucumbers. 



With regard to lettuce we are studying the mechanical 

 ■ conditions of the soil as affecting the crop, and the various 

 fungous diseases to which it is subject, more especially the 

 disease known as the " drop." 



In addition to these experiments, it may be mentioned 

 that there are incidentally being carried on investigations 

 upon the influence of electrical currents on the growth of 

 plants. Bulletin 43 of this station embodied the most care- 

 ful and extensive series of experiments ever made upon the 

 subject. They were carried out by Mr. Asa S. Kinney, 

 while a student at the college, and did not necessarily fall 

 under station v/ork. The results obtained by him were of 

 such a promising nature that it has seemed well worth our 

 time to carry the investigation further. It should be stated 

 that any costly method of using electricity as an accelerator 

 of plant development is not to be recommended. If, how- 

 ever, any simple and cheap means of using electric currents 

 can be used, which will give an acceleration in the growth 

 of a crop equal to 30-40 per cent., it might be worthy of 

 consideration by practical agriculturists. 



We have in progress a series of experiments with various 

 gaseous substances, with a view to developing a treatment 

 of this sort for combating fungous diseases of greenhouse 

 plants. This method of treatment has been suggested by 

 the extensive application which it has reached in extermi- 

 nating insects. While we are as yet unable to present any 

 results of great practical value, it is hoped that these ex- 

 periments may lead to the development of an effective treat- 

 ment for greenhouse plant diseases by the use of a gaseous 

 substance. The great superiority of such method over that 

 of spraying, which is in many cases inapplicable, needs no 

 exposition. Our experiments thus far have been carried on 



