THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
opportunity for profitable intellectual em¬ 
ploy mtni now offered by tbe so-called learned 
professions. c. e. thorne, director. 
Columbus, Ohio. 
MICHIGAN EXPERIMENT STATION. 
1. The station here was organized in Feb¬ 
ruary, 1888. 
2. Each department is carrying ou the old 
experiments aud is projecting new. Dr 
Kedzie,Chemist, is making special experiments 
in ensilage at all stages of maturity of the crop; 
analysis of milk and dairy products. Prof. 
Cook, Entomologist, experiments with new 
bees and he seeks to find out which kinds are 
tbp best, aud also experiments in bee forage 
plants. We have just finished a flue bee home. 
He is in shape to get results in apiculture. He 
will continue his experiments in insecticides. 
Dr. Beal is to make further advance in the 
grasses. We are fitting some six acres for his 
plants, and he is sending all over the world for 
seeds and for trees and shrubs in forestry. Prof. 
Johnson continues his feeding experiments 
with steers of four leading breeds, concerning 
which he has reported from time to time. He 
is enlarging his experiments in field crops. He 
aud a member of the Board have been visiting 
Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Canada, New York 
and Massachusetts, with a view of establishing 
dairy experiments. The affirmative objects 
sought are the unsolved problems in dairying. 
Our theory or interpretation of the law is that 
the money should go to solution and discovery 
rather than instructive work. Dr. Grange in 
veterinary science this season is taking a line 
of spaying heifers for the farmers, to test the 
effects on growth and quantity of meat. We 
are preparing for experiments on diseases of 
animals. Prof. Bailey has a line in horticul- | 
ture, experiments in new plants, new varieties, 
etc. We have obtained control of 12 acres 
north of the college grounds for his experi¬ 
ment grounds. 
In addition to these special experiments at 
the college, we have projected a line among 
the so-called “ pine barrens” in the northern 
part of the lower peninsula. These are under 
the special charge of Drs. Kedzie and Beal. 
The principal station is at Grayling, 
Crawford County, 80 acres. Then there 
are temporary stations, of 10 acres each, at 
Osceola, Iosco County; Harrison, Clare Coun¬ 
ty; Baldwin, Lake County, and Walton, 
Grand Traverse County. At the principal 
stations regular crops will be grown, fruit 
trees will be set out, aud genuine experiments 
will be made as how to redeem the barren soils 
from their own cultivation without fertilizers. 
There are hundreds of thousands of acres 
of these lands that are claimed to be practi¬ 
cally worthless, of which, unfortunately, the 
College owns in its land grant some 30,000 
acres. The temporary stations are for gra«ses 
and are under Dr. Beal. He has put in some 
20 kinds of grasses this spring. 
June 11, Dr. Beal, Prof. Bailey, Mr. Wheel¬ 
er, of Hubbardston, who has published a work 
on the botany of Michigan, Hon. C. W. Gar¬ 
field, aud two of our students well up in bota¬ 
ny, took a trip across the State from Har- 
marsville, Alcona County, to Walton, Grand 
Traverse, to study soil,forestry,plants,grasses, 
etc., etc., right through the “ barren region.” 
We are expecting to do in that region some 
work that will count for great good to the 
State aud to the practical agriculture of that 
part of it. 
Our organization is not separate from the 
College management. My idea is that if we 
have the brains and experience (which we 
have) they should be utilized for this work. 
Our plan is that these Professors should de¬ 
vote one-third to one-half ttuir time to the 
experiments, and we are to relieve them of 
their college work to that extent by appoint¬ 
ing assistants. Up to date nothing is added 
to their salaries; the compensation comes m 
relieving them from subordinate work. How 
the plan will work is to be demonstrated, but 
it contemplates a line of bright young men as 
assistants who shall be in training for profes¬ 
sorships in their respective departments, here 
or elsewhere. edwin willits, director. 
Lansing, Michigan. 
ILLINOIS EXPERIMENT STATION. 
The following experiments have been 
planned: 
FIELD EXPERIMENTS. 
1. Corn: Testing of varieties. 2. Testing of 
varieties for ensilage. 3. Time of planting. 
4. Depth of planting. 5. Thickness of plant¬ 
ing. 6. Planting in hills or drills. 7. Mode 
of planting. 8. Frequency of cultivation. 9. 
Depth of cultivation 10. Effect of root-prun¬ 
ing. 11. Effect of fertilizers. 12. Oats: Quan¬ 
tity of seed per acre. 13. Compact or loose 
seed-bed. 14. Time of sowing. 15. Depth of 
sowing. 16. Grasses: Comparison of varieties. 
17. Clovers: Comparison of varieties. 18. 
Grasses and Clovers: iiown with or without 
grain. 19. Grasses; Field tests of varieties 
20. Clovers: Field tests of varieties. 21. 
Grasses and clovers: Field tests of mixtures 
22. Weeds: Numbersand kinds on given areas. 
23. Rotation: University experiments contin¬ 
ued. 24. fertilizers: Comparison of. 
FEEDING EXPERIMENTS. 
25. Feeding: Silage to growing cattle. 26. 
Cattle of different breeds. 27. Cost of pro¬ 
duction of young colts. 2S Cost of produc¬ 
tion of young calves. 30. Effect of ash con¬ 
stituents upon pigs. 
TREE CULTURE. 
31. Orchard: Soil, cultivation and manage¬ 
ment. 32. Soil fertilization. 33. Apples: 
Testing new varieties by planting. 34. Test¬ 
ing new varieties by top-grafting. 35. Testing 
hardiness of root grafted and double-worked 
trees. 36. Pears: Testing new varieties. 37. 
Plums: Testing new varieties. 38. Cherries: 
Testing new varieties. 39 Forest trees: Grow¬ 
ing of. 
VINE CULTURE. 
40. Grapes: Testing new varieties. 41. 
Methods of training 42. Soil treatment. 
SMALL FRUIT CULTURE. 
43. Blackberries: Testing varieties. 44. 
Raspberries: Testing varieties 45. Straw¬ 
berries: Testing varieties. 46. Method of 
management. 
GARDENING. 
47. Tomatoes: Effect of artificial fertiliza¬ 
tion upon earliness of product. 48. Beans: 
Testing varieties. 49. Sweet Corn: Testing 
varieties. 
ChampaigD, Ill. h. s. peabody, director. 
THE IOWA EXPERIMENT STATION. 
1. This station was organized in February 
last. Its work will be kept as distinct as pos¬ 
sible from that of the Agricultural College. 
It has a Director; a Chemist; a Botanist and 
an Entomologist, each of whom will give his 
entire time to the work of the station. The 
College Professors of Chemistry. Botany. 
Horticulture, Agriculture and Veterinary 
Science, will perform special work for the 
station, but principally during the college 
vacation. 
2. The production of new varieties of 
grass, grains, fruits, etc., by cross-fertilization 
and selection, that will be better adapted to 
the climate and soils of Iowa than the old va¬ 
rieties, will receive most attention. Special 
attention will also be given to experiments in 
drainage, sub-soiling, rotation of crops, etc. 
We expect to give but little attention to the 
analyzing of feed-stuffs, fertilizers, soils, or 
water from wells or springs—or to experi¬ 
ments in feeding the domestic animals for 
growth or fat; but we will publish the results 
of such experiments made at other stations, in 
our quarterly bulletins. All kinds of crops 
have been steadily decreasing in Iowa for 
many years, both in quantity and quality,and 
our principal object will be to determine, if 
possible, how to grow greater and more prof¬ 
itable crops in the future. We will not at¬ 
tempt to solve all of the problems connected 
with farm management, as it is very probable 
that if we should attempt too much, the re¬ 
sults would not be satisfactory. 
Ames, Iowa. r. p. speer, director 
THE KANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION. 
A fact in agriculture is valuable" in itself 
and in its relations; but an agricultural prin¬ 
ciple can be established only as the result of 
repeated trials under agricultural conditions. 
It has been thought best, therefore, to direct 
the labors of the present year towards secur¬ 
ing that permanent basis for future operations 
without which persistent and systematic work 
is impossible. Additional work is planned 
covering experiments with varieties and 
methods of cultivation of corn and other 
grains; with the cultivated grasses and other 
forage plants; with varieties and methods of 
cultivating sorghum, with the view to increas¬ 
ing the sugar contents of this plant; with 
silage and other stock foods, and methods of 
feeding, especially as affecting the production 
of meat and milk; with common and unusual 
fruits, shrubs and forest trees, and with gar¬ 
den vegetables in great variety. 
In the purely scientific departments,analyses 
of grains, fodders and other agricultural 
products will be made, together with fertiliz¬ 
ers,—natural and artificial,—and special soils 
and waters. Experiments are in progress to 
test the efficacy of insecticides, and the most 
practical methods of destroying insect pests. 
Thorough investigation will be made of the 
history and habits of weed pests; the diseases 
of the cultivated plants of our State; the 
rusts, smuts, moulds, mildews, blights, rot, 
scab, etc., which have soUong been a burden 
’ to the farming community. 
Unless the station proves itself really use¬ 
ful to the great agricultural interests of the 
State, whatever it may accomplish or suggest 
in other directions, it may justly be said to 
have failed to accomplish tue purpose for 
which it was created. This consummation, 
however, is not to be'looked for as the result 
of a single season’s labor. Whatever of real 
value grows out of the operations of the sta¬ 
tion will be due to careful planning and dili¬ 
gent, patient labor often repeated. Facts, 
real or supposed, obtained hap-hazard, by 
luck or chance, have so far been principally 
the foundation of agricultural practioe. It is 
the demand for better knowledge than this— 
the something known, not “guessed”—that 
has called into life the Experiment Station. 
E. M. SHELTON, DIRECTOR. 
Manhattan, Kan. 
ARKANSAS EXPERIMENT STATION. 
1. The station was organized on February 
16, 1888. 
2. We intend to make leading features of 
the undermentioned points, and shall also do 
such work of a subordinate importance as 
may seem desirable : The improvement of the 
cotton plant; the introduction of tame grasses; 
the reclamation of swamp lands; rotation of 
crops; preventive of Texas , fever; injurious 
insects; adaptability of ensilage for Arkan¬ 
sas; testing breeds of stock suited to the State; 
dairy cattle. We are at present carrying on 
work in sundry other lines, such as sorghum, 
wheat, corn, potatoes, pear-tree borer, swine 
plague, grapes and small fruits, indigenous 
grains, etc., etc. 
The State is so large in area that we have 
divided into four branches to give accurate 
representation to all sections, and a great deal 
of our work will necessarily be co-ordinative. 
The class of experiments that seem most de¬ 
sirable are those previously indicated. I think 
it might be desirable for the Southwestern 
States to work somewhat together; but I do 
not think we could work well with the New 
England Stations, for our conditions are in 
every way different and we must be governed 
by them. 
3. I believe that farmers’ institutes are a 
most valuable aid to intelligent agriculture 
and that station work can be prominently 
brought to their notice in that way. I also 
think that work done in a line of direct inter, 
eet to the farmers will go far towards securing 
their co operation. Our farmers call for about 
3,000 bulletins at present and the number in¬ 
creases daily, albert menke, director. 
Fayetteville, Ark. 
NORTH CAROLINA EXPERIMENT STATION. 
1. The North Carolina Experiment Station 
was organized in 1877, the second in America, 
the first being that of Connecticut. 
2. The organization was sought primarily 
for the effect on the fertilizer trade by inspec¬ 
tion and analyses of samples to be taken by an 
official inspector. It was, in addition, to 
carry on experiments in order permanently to 
improve existing agriculture. This was the 
original idea. The inspection of fertilizers 
has been carried on and has been very sue. 
cessful. Not until 1886 were we able to carry 
on experiments in the field as was originally 
intended. A farm was secured and reasona¬ 
bly well equipped. Unfortunately, when the 
work was becoming of some value, our funds 
gave out in December, 1877, and scientific 
work was stopped at the experiment farm. 
This station derives by State law the benefit 
of the Hatch funds and will be able to recom¬ 
mence field work, and carry on other branches 
of investigation which will prove beneficial 
to the State, especially by work in the man¬ 
agement, feeding and raising of cattle, and in 
the production of milk and butter. 
Among the subjects proposed for experi¬ 
mental work may be mentioned the follow¬ 
ing: The analyses of all fertilizers legally on 
sale in the State; of agricultural chemicals, 
of composts and home-made fertilizers, and 
of all materials from which they can be 
made; of soils, marls and mucks; of feeding 
stuffs; of drinking waters and articles of 
food; and the examination of seeds with ref¬ 
erence to their purity and capacity to germi¬ 
nate. 
It will also undertake a study of the cultiva¬ 
tion of our staple crops, looking to im¬ 
provement in the present system; of the best 
treatment of worn-out lands to render them 
productive; the best system for the rotation of 
erops, and the time for the planting of each. 
Experiments relative to the feeding value of 
the various forage crops, and of the grasses 
now grown in the State, or that can be grown ) 
also the nutritive value of the standard hays 
and grasses;and to determine, from the analy¬ 
ses of the plants grown, the proper ration for 
stock. The construction of the silo, and the 
preservation of green forage crops as silage, 
and the comparative value of the latter with 
forage in the dry state. Investigation of the 
chemical constituents of the standard crops and 
grasses in the various stages of their growth. 
Digestion experiments with stock to ascer¬ 
tain practically the value of certain of our 
food stuffs. Experiments to ascertain the 
value .of different breeds of cattle for butter 
making, for milk making, and for beef mak¬ 
ing ;'and the quality and quantity of food to 
bring about these results. 
3. Our station will eudeavor to interest the 
farmers’ organizations—the Farmers’ Alli¬ 
ance, and the Grange—by procuring from 
them the results of their discussions as to what 
particular experiments to undertake. In this 
way we will know what they most desire to 
know iu experimental work, and can base our 
detailed plans in reference to this wish. Nec¬ 
essarily there will be other lines of work not 
referred t.o by them, which will be under¬ 
taken. Our list of farmers on our mailing 
list now is quite large. We procure addition¬ 
al names (or revise the list entirely period¬ 
ically) by sending a blank form to farmers 
and others known to the station, by corres¬ 
pondence or otherwise, to be filled out with 
names of those who would wish to know and 
be interested in the work of the station. Our 
reports cost money and we cannot afford to 
throw them away by sending them to those 
who do not desire to receive them. A stamped 
envelope for return postage is always inclosed 
for these names, and brings a hundredfold 
for the two cents invested, in the promptness 
and care with which the list is made. 
Raleigh, N. C. fl. b. battle, director. 
THE SOUTH CAROLINA EXPERIMENT STATION. 
Cotton is and will continue to be for years to 
come the leading staple of the South, and the 
efforts of Southern stations should be largely 
directed to the determination of its require¬ 
ments, physical, chemical and biological. But 
little has been done in this line as yet—the 
field is a new one, viewed from the scientific 
standpoint. What is needed is a careful study 
of the plant—its root development; its compo¬ 
sition at different stages of development; its 
growth ; the demands it makes upon the soil for 
nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and lime; its 
cross-fertilization, hybridization, etc. 
On our three farms we have 636 plots (318 
tests, each being duplicated) bearing upon 
questions on the culture, manuring, etc., of 
this plant. J. m. mc bryde, director. 
Columbia, S. C. 
THE TENNESSEE EXPERIMENT STATION. 
1. Our station was first organized in 1882. 
Its affairs are kept entirely separate from 
those of the Agricultural College, with which 
it is connected. 
2. The people of this State are interested 
more especially in live stock, dairying, grasses 
and forage, corn, horticulture, especially the 
growing of small fruits, wheat, oats, and to a 
somewhat less degree in cotton. It will cer¬ 
tainly be better for each station to take up a 
few lines of work and follow them intently 
than to undertake to diffuse itself over 
a great variety of different topics. 
3. The way to interest farmers in the work 
of the stations is, first, to do good work hav¬ 
ing a practical bearing; and, next, to tell 
them about it in a succinct, plain way, avoid¬ 
ing the use of too many scientific terms. 
Farmers can be trusted to take an interest in 
what they see concerns them, and will benefit 
them. 
We shall, according to the law, publish as 
many bulletins and reports as we are able^ 
and send them to those persons who apply for 
them, as far as they will go, giving preference 
to the people of our own State. 
CHAS. W. DABNEY, JR., DIRECTOR. 
Knoxville, Tenn. 
THE MISSISSIPPI STATION. 
1. The Mississippi Experiment Station was 
established on February 1st, 1888, under the 
provisions of tbe Hatch bill. It is located at 
the Agricultural College, and is a department 
of the college, but its accounts are kept 
entirely distinct, and its work is as separate 
from that of the college as it is possible to 
keep it. 
2. The principal work of the station will be 
in the line of fertilizer tests, the object of the 
work being to find some economical method 
for restoring fertility to the worn-out cotton 
fields of the State. In order to accomplish 
this, we shall make use of the dairy, and shall 
experiment somewhat largely with forage 
plants and feeding ratious. The Station 
Chemist is making a careful study of the 
cotton plant in order to determine the influ¬ 
ence of fertilizers, and the particular elements 
needed by the plant at different stages of 
growth. The study of fungi will occupy the 
time of at least one man, and a few other 
subjects may be taken up as opportunity 
offers. It is believed that much more can 
be accomplished and more valuable results 
secured by concentrating the work of the 
station on a few things, than by attempting 
superficial work in many. 
There are some questions which can doubt¬ 
less be studied to advantage by co-operative 
work, but I think the work of most of the 
stations will have to be decided by the peculiar 
needs of the several localities, the available 
