there having been a mistake of analysis in this work, it may be well to add that the whole milk was weighed, sampled and analyzed, the spaces of cream read very carefully, the cream, skim-milk, buttermilk and butter weighed and analyzed, and the whole work balanced very closely, that is, the sum of the fat obtained in the skimmilk, butter-milk and butter agreed very closely with the total fat contained in the original milk. The work was also checked by means of the cream and duplicates were made of everything so that it would be necessary for the same mistake to be made at least four times in order to escape detection. There is some factories in the State which use the method of setting the milk in test-glasses in the open air and using the depth of cream as the estimate of the richness of the milk. This method was tested with great care at the Station, and found to be unreliable. Milks set side by side. were shown by analysis to have practically the same amount of fat, but the depth of cream in one was a fifth more than in the other, so that whereas this method does have value as a method of geting an approximate value for the use of the dairyman in weeding out the poorer cows from his herd, it is not of sufficient accuracy to be used as a method for determining the value of milk at creameries.

ENSILAGE.

The Station built two silos, and divided one of them into two compartments. The mater a put in these were pea and oat hay, Hungarian, corn fodder before frosting, and corn that had been frosted. Covering quickly was tried and also allowing the ensilage to heat before covering and weighting. The points to be determined were, the amount of actual loss of feeding material in the silo, the relative advantage of the different methods of filling and covering, the relative feeding value of the fodder which was air dried as compared with the same fodder put into the silo, and its feeding value before frosting as compared with frosted fodder. Our figures on the loss of feeding material are nearly completed, and they show a loss of from 20 to 25 per cent. The upper layer of the silo, as would naturally be expected, shows a larger loss than the lower layer. Unfortunately, our figures for the air dried material as compared with the ensilage are not so satisfactory as could

be desired; samples were taken but were lost by an accident. What figures we have obtained seem to indicate that the loss from standing in the shock for about two months and then bringing to the barn, although the fodder appeared to be in good condition, has amounted to at least one-third of the total feeding value of the original fodder. What the cows will say concerning the relative value of the two through the medium of their milk flow has not yet been determined, nor have we as yet the figures on the comparison of the frosted and unfrosted corn; these will all be given in future bulletins and reports. As regards the question of methods of filling the silo, the ensilage has kept perfectly where it was weighted at once and also where it was allowed to heat before weighting.

APPLE POMACE.

It has often been claimed that apple pomace has no feeding value and the practice of almost all the cider mills in throwing away the pomace, shows that this belief in its worthlessness is widespread. Chemical analysis has always said that there was considerable feeding material in pomace, and the Station undertook to find out whether this was so. As the pomace from the mill would not keep, it was determined to put it into the silo and see whether by exclusion of air it could be preserved; the result was a perfect success. About six tons of pomace was put into a small silo six feet square, each load was leveled and tramped down firmly, and when the last load was in, the whole was allowed to stand and heat to about 90°; it was then covered and weighted with stones about 50 pounds to the square foot. The heat decreased at once and when the cover was removed a month later the pomace was found in a state of perfect preservation, and remained so during all the weeks that we were feeding it. The milch cows like it exceedingly; when there is any in their mangers, they take it in preference to any other fodder we can give them and eat it all before beginning on hay or corn fodder which was usually given with it. There was no decrease in the milk flow, as has often been claimed to be the result of feeding apple or pomace, and we probably get from it the full feeding value as indicated by chemical analysis. We feed ten pounds a day in two feeds of five pounds each, night and morning. Feeding in this way a cow would eat a ton during the winter season, and there can

be no doubt that it would be a good investment for any dairyman to put up for winter as many tons of apple pomace as he has cows.

CONCLUSION.

It will thus be seen that the work of the Station the past season has covered a wide field of inquiry. A more detailed account of the work done and results obtained will be found in the subsequent pages of this report.

VERMONT FERTILIZER LAW.*

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont :

SECTION 1. Manufacturers and importers of commercial fertilizers, sold or offered for sale in this State, shall, before such fertilizer is sold or offered for sale, obtain a license from the State treasurer, countersigned and recorded by the secretary of the board of agriculture, for each brand of fertilizer so sold or offered for sale, authorizing the sale of the same in the State, and shall securely affix to each barrel, bag, or other package of such fertilizer the word "licensed," with the number and date of the license. The person obtaining such license for a brand of fertilizer shall pay to the State fifty dollars for each brand licensed, and the license shall be valid for one year.

SEC. 2. Manufacturers and importers of commercial fertilizers sold or offered for sale in this State, shall, before such fertilizer is so sold or offered for sale, file with the State treasurer a bond, with sureties residing in the State satisfactory to said treasurer, in the sum of five thousand dollars, payable to the State, conditioned for the payment of forfeitures and costs imposed on such manufacturers or importers for violating the provisions of this act, and such bond shall be renewed from time to time, as the State treasurer may require.

SEC. 3. Manufacturers and importers of commercial fertilizers sold or offered for sale in this State, shall, before such fertilizer is sold or offered for sale, securely affix to each barrel, bag or package of such fertilizers, a label wherein they shall state in legible print, the name and place of business of such manufacturer or importer, the year of the manufacture of such fertilizer, or, if the fertilizer is imported, the year of its importation, and net weight of the same, also the constituent parts of such fertilizer, and the percentage of nitrogen, of potash, of soluble, reverted and insoluble phosphoric acid.

*This is the law under which the samples were drawn this year. This law was repealed November, 1888, and in future the work will be done under the new law, which is given on page 28.

SEC. 4. A manufacturer or importer of commercial fertilizers, sold or offered for sale in this State, who violates any of the provisions of this act, shall forfeit to the State one thousand dollars, to be recovered in an action on the bond required to be filed by such manufacturer or importer, under the provision of section two of this act.

And it shall be the duty of the secretary of the board of agriculture to notify the State treasurer of all violations of the provisions of this act, and the State treasurer shall immediately commence suit on the bond in the name of the State, and prosecute the same to final judgment.

SEC. 5. The word "importers" in this act shall be construed to mean persons importing fertilizers directly from countries without the United States.

SEC. 6. The term "commercial fertilizers," as used in this act, shall be taken to mean compounded and manufactured substances containing or represented to contain two or more ingredients mentioned in section three of this act, but shall not apply to the separate ingredients used to manufacture the same when sold in their pure condition, or to bone meal, land plaster, lime or any substance the product of nature which has not been compounded.

SEC. 7. A person who sells or keeps for sale a commercial fertilizer, the manufacturers or importers whereof have not complied with the provisions of sections one and two of this act, and the barrels, bags or packages whereof are not marked with legibly printed labels purporting to specify the particulars required to be specified in such labels by section three of this act, shall be fined two hundred dollars.

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SEC. 8. The agents in this State of the manufacturers or importers of a commercial fertilizer may sell any commercial fertilizers in their possession in this State at the time of the passage this act, although the same is not labeled in conformity with the provisions of section two of this act.

SEC 9. The chemist of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College shall be ex-officio State chemist for the purposes named in this act.

SEC. 10. It shall be the duty of the secretary of the State board of agriculture by himself, or by some suitable person, to be