viii MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1907. 



Experiment Station and for this purpose established the Depart- 

 ment of Biology. This action went into actual effect by the ap- 

 pointment (July 1, 1907) of Raymond Pearl, Ph. D., University 

 of Michigan as Biologist, and (Aug. 1, 1907) Frank M. Sur- 

 face, Ph. D., University of Pennsylvania as associate biologist. 

 The immediate problems which are engaging the attention of the 

 biologists are the breeding of sweet corn and the study of the 

 fndamental principles which underlie animal breeding. The 

 large poultry plant of the Station is being utilized for this pur- 

 pose. 



Buildings. 



The Station library had outgrown the shelf room in the direc- 

 tor's office and the east room in the upper floor of the north 

 wing of the Station building was fitted up during the summer 

 of 1907 for the library. This is the largest room in the Experi- 

 ment Station building and is of sufficient capacity to house the 

 library with its normal growth for a number of years. 



The west room on the ground floor of the north wing was 

 fitted up during the summer for an office and laboratory for the 

 Biologists. 



A two-story wooden building 39 x 40 feet was erected in the 

 fall of 1907 between poultry houses No. 2 and 3. Two-thirds 

 of the first floor is used for the storage of grain, for the heating" 

 apparatus and for wash room for poultry appliances. The 

 remainder of the space — three rooms each approximately 10 x 13 

 have been fitted up for surgical laboratories to be used by the 

 Biologists in poultry investigations. These rooms are heated 

 by hot water, lighted by electricity and provided with hot and 

 cold water for washing; also they have the latest antiseptic 

 devices and are thoroughly equipped with apparatus for surgical 

 work in poultry. The upper floor is used for the storage of 

 poultry appliances. 



