REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 9 
Experiments with forage crops.—The object of these experi- 
ments, which have been continued at Storrs for several years, 
is to get light upon the fitness of certain forage crops for use 
in Connecticut. The experiments have had to do with the 
growth of these crops and the effects of nitrogenous fertilizers 
upon their growth and nitrogen content. Studies have also 
been made of their composition and digestibility and their com- 
parative value as fodders. 
Lxperiment on soil improvement.—In 1899 an experiment 
was undertaken to study and compare the economy of different 
methods of manuring for restoring fertility to a soil that ap- 
pears to be lacking in organic matter and in available nitrogen, 
such a soil as is commonly spoken of as ‘‘poor’’ or ‘‘ worn 
out.’’ This experiment is being continued. 
DAIRY SBACTERIOLOGY. 
For several years past Prof. Conn and Mr. Esten have been 
engaged in the study of the bacteria which grow in cream 
during its ripening. The results of this work are given in the 
present Report, and may be briefly summarized as follows: 
It is found that the bacteria which get into milk during the 
milking are quite numerous in variety. Of those which are 
present in milk and cream at the outset there are only very 
few which produce lactic acid, while there are large numbers 
of other miscellaneous bacteria. During the first twelve hours 
or more the miscellaneous bacteria increase somewhat rapidly. 
The few lactic bacteria which are present at the outset find the 
milk such a favorable medium for growth that they multiply 
more rapidly than the others, and soon surpass in numbers all 
the miscellaneous bacteria which at first were so much more 
abundant. The lactic bacteria continue to grow during the 
ripening, for about 24 to 36 hours, while the miscellaneous 
bacteria become less and less abundant. By the time the 
cream is properly ripened the lactic bacteria comprise usually 
98 per cent. of the whole, and in many cases they seem to have 
totally destroyed all other species. If the cream is allowed to 
ripen for two to three days the number of these lactic bacteria 
continues to increase until it frequently reaches one and one- 
half billion per cubic centimeter. After this they begin to 
