The Agricultural Division is in charge of the Director and the work may be divided into two parts, the field and plot experiments in charge of an assistant, J. D. Towar, B. Sc., who superintends the details of the "plot" work, planting, cultivating, harvesting, weighing, etc., and whose duty it is to keep all necessary records of the various experiments and assist in preparing the results for publication. A total of 299 plot tests have been made the past season. He also has charge of the cooperative field experiments conducted in State and, when required, assists the Director in the routine work of the office. various parts of the The ordinary work of the farm, care of teams, stock, etc., is in charge of the farmer, H. F. Adams, who depends upon the Director for general orders and advice in regard to all questions of importance. The duties of this section of the Agricultural Division are quite numerous and general; all the teaming of the Station and College, the plowing, the planting and cultivating of the ordinary field crops, the digging of stone and the building of roads, the grading around buildings, etc., is superintended by the farmer. The permanent improvements in the removal of brush, walls and rocks and the breaking up of rough land, grading and building of roads, in addition to the regular work of the farm, has required the services of quite a force of workmen in this division, more in the past than we expect will be required in the future. Prof. L. F. Kinney has charge of the Horticultural work. A section. of the farm lying east of the barn has been set aside for the use of this division, and there are now growing over 550 varieties of fruits of all kinds, large and small, which are being tested as to hardiness, quality and value in our soil and climate. New varieties of vegetables are also planted that their good qualities, or their lack of them, may be ascertained for this State. Experiments are also conducted in the use of insecticides and fungicides for the protection of plants and trees. Some fruit, forest and ornamental trees and shrubs are propagated for our own use and for the purpose of teaching the college students the operation of grafting, in its different methods, budding and layering. A small greenhouse furnishes some opportunity for work under glass, and allows the propagation of the necessary ornamental and bedding plants. The Bees and Poultry Division are in charge of Mr. Samuel Cushman. A few colonies of bees are kept for the purpose of illustration and instruction to the students and to show what can be done with proper care and attention in the work of bee keeping. This year the colonies have been kept strong and in the best working condition with excellent results, 16 colonies having gathered over 850 pounds of comb and extracted honey, besides a sufficient amount for their winter stores. Poultry has received attention for something over a year. Pains have been taken to gather the best ideas in the way of poultry houses as used by the most practical and successful poultry keepers, and the buildings constructed are believed to possess many good points. Artificial incubation is receiving attention, and the raising of the chicks so hatched by artificial heat in "brooders" and a "brooder house." How to raise turkeys successfully is studied, and our flock of breeding birds has at its head a pure wild gobbler, and some of the hens are of the best strains of blood in Missouri and Kentucky. Embden geese have been imported from Germany and our Pekin ducks are from some of the best stock obtainable. Our work with poultry has been, the past season, the crossing of the Indian game upon several of the well-known breeds as well as the raising of other first crosses to ascertain which cross would be most profitable for market poultry. Specimens of the crosses, alive and dressed, were exhibited at the Rhode Island poultry show, held at Pawtucket, December 27-29, and the Indian game and light Brahma cross was pronounced a very promising bird, alive, and the finest of all crosses, dressed. Quite a number of experiments in regard to the method of operation and profit of caponizing chickens have been conducted the past two seasons. That the general reader may have a better idea of the legitimate work of the Experiment Station, we quote Section 2 of the Hatch Act, relating thereto : "That it shall be the object and duty of said experiment stations to conduct original researches or verify experiments on the physiology of plants and animals; the diseases to which they are severally subject, with the remedies for the same; the chemical composition of useful plants at their different stages of growth; the comparative advantages of rotative cropping as pursued under a varying series of crops; the capacity of new plants or trees for acclimation; the analysis of soils and waters; the chemical composition of manures, natural or artificial, with experiments designed to test their comparative effects on crops of different kinds; the adaptation and value of grasses and forage plants; the composition and digestibility of the different kinds of food for domestic animals; the scientific and economic questions involved in the production of butter and cheese; and such other researches or experiments bearing directly on the agricultural industry of the United States as may in each case be deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the respective States or Territories." Visitors are always welcome, and any information desired about agricultural questions will be furnished whenever possible. CHARLES O. FLAGG, Director. |