16 MAINE FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION. 



The whole building is to be equipped so thoroughly, that with a 

 given force the maximum amount of work will be accomplished. 



The experiments with live stock have been carried on so far in 

 the barn that will be needed for other purposes as soon as the 

 college farm is restocked, and space for this work must be provided 

 elsewhere. If in some way funds can be secured to complete the 

 outside of the unfinished new barn, the amount allowed from the 

 national appropriation will probably be sufficient to fit the inside for 

 feeding and dairy experiments, and to build the dairj^ room that 

 must be provided when the one belonging to the farm is again occu- 

 pied. Such an arrangement seems to be the only possible one 

 that will adequately provide for the experimental work which the 

 station proposes to do. 



Land necessary for field experiments has been set aside from the 

 college farm, and is already occupied, and the field experiments to 

 which it is devoted include the use of small plots for fertilizer tests 

 and tests of varieties, and of large areas on which different systems 

 of crop production will be practiced for a series of years. 



As a means of conducting feeding and dairy experiments, the 

 station has purchased eight thoroughbred cows (two each of the 

 Jerseys, Ayrsbires, Holsteins and Shorthorns), six thoroughbred 

 steers (two each of the Herefords, Holsteins and Shorthorns), 

 twelve pigs and six sheep, also the necessary scales for weighing 

 animals, rations and milk, and an outfit of dairy apparatus. 



THE CONTENTS OF THIS REPORT. 



This report contains the results of a comparatively small amount 

 of experimental work, for reasons previously given. It is quite 

 largely devoted to matters of an explanatory and informational 

 character. For instance, under the head of foods, quite an amount 

 of space is occupied by explanations in regard to the composition 

 and digestibilit}' of cattle foods, and the basis, value and use of the 

 German feeding standards, and these subjects have been treated at 

 so much length in response to a direct call for such information. 

 It is proposed to treat other subjects in a similar manner, so that 

 the Station Reports may serve as books of reference. It will be 

 noticed, also, that the main part of the matter given in the bulletina 

 published in 1888, is reprinted here. 



Quite a number of experiments are either under way or are 

 definitely arranged, as can be seen by the following summary of 

 what has been done, or is already undertaken, and some results 

 have been secured which are not published here. 



