8 DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE BULLETINS 26-50. 



Department Bulletin No. 44. — The Blights op Coniferous Nursery 

 Stock. 



Introduction 1 



Physiological troubles 2 



Diseases due to parasitic fungi 13 



Unclassified diseases 17 



Conclusion 19 



Summary 20 



Department Bulletin No. 45. — Experiments in the Use op Sheep in the 

 Eradication of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Tick. 



Plan of experiments 1 



Observations and results 2 



The application of the information obtained to practical eradication 9 



Department Bulletin No. 46. — A Descriptive Catalogue of the Soils 

 of Virginia so far Identified in the Soil Survey. 



Areas surveyed 1 



Description and use of the soils of the Piedmont Plateau province 3 



Description and use of the soils of the Appalachian Mountain and Plateau 



province 8 



Description and use of the Soils of the Coastal Plains province 10 



Description and use of the Soils of the Limestone Valley and Upland prov- 

 ince 13 



Description and use of the soils of the River Flood Plains province 15 



Department Bulletin No. 47. — Lessons for American Potato Growers 

 yROM German Experiences. 



Introduction 1 



Relative importance of the potato in German and American agriculture. . 1 



Industrial uses for German potatoes 2 



The role of potatoes in the national dietary 3 



Indirect benefits of potato growing 3 



A maximum acreage the policy 4 



Comparison with American conditions 4 



Competition with maize and petroleum 5 



Some reasons for our lower yields 6 



Should we increase our production? 8 



An outlet for surplus production needed 9 



Possible uses for surplus potatoes 9 



Summary 11 



Department Bulletin No. 48. — The Shrinkage of Shelled Corn While 

 in Cars in Transit. 



Introduction 1 



Methods used in determining shrinkage in corn 1 



First experiment, April 14 to May 11, 1910 2 



Second experiment, December 24, 1910, to January 20, 1911 6 



Third experiment, Mar. 2 to Mar. 29, 1911 10 



Fourth experiment, May 11 to June 1-3, 1911 13 



Shrinkage as affected by the temperature of the corn 16 



Comparisons of the same lot of corn used in the second, third, and fourth 



experiments 20 



Summary of the second, third, and fourth experiments 20 



Conclusions 21 



