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North Carolina State Library Gift of /IxrxJcJLj Cct/t^U^o/ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 With funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofn189798nort Worth Carolina State Lib, Raleigh rary 0*% An. Rep. 20 and 2 I August 1 , 1898. the north carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, W. A. WITHERS, A. M., Acting Director. Report of the Director FOR 1897 AND I 898 (HALF YEAR). 20th"and 2 1st Years. RALEIGH, N. C. 494 Publications will be sent to any address In North Carolina upon application. NORTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS, RALEIGH, N. C. THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES. J. C. h. Harris, President, Raleigh. J. R. Chamberlaim Raleigh. S. L. Crowder Ridgeway. L,. C. Edwards Oxford. J W. Harden, Jr Raleigh. MaTT Moore Warsaw. J. Z. Waller Burlington. H. K. Bonitz Wilmington. J. J. Britt Bakersville Alex. Q. Holladay Raleigh STATION COUNCIL. Alex. Q. Holladay, LL. D., President of the College. W. A. Withers, A. M Professor of Chemistry. F. E. Emery, M. S Professor of Agriculture. W. F. Massey, C. E Professor of Horticulture EXPERIMENT STATION STAFF. W. A. Withers., A. M, Acting Director and Chemist. F. E. Emery, M. S Agriculturist. W. F. Massey, C. E Horticulturist. C. B. Williams, M. S Assistant Chemist. H. K. Midler, M. S Assistant Chemist. C. D. Harris, B. S Assistant Chemist. A. W. Blair, A. M Assistant Chemist. J. A. Bizzell, B. S Assistant Chemist. F. G. Kelly Assistant Chemist. G. S. Fraps, B. S ...Assistant Chemist. Alex. Rhodes (Southern Pines) ...Assistant Horticulturist. C. W. Hyams Assistant Botanist. J. M. Johnson, M. S Assistant Agriculturist. F. E. Hege Poultryman. B. S. Skinner Superintendent of Farm. J. M. Fix Secretary. H. E. King Chief Clerk. C. M. Hughes, B. E Clerk. Miss M. S. Birdsong Stenographer. Mrs. L. V. Darby Stenographer. The Director's office is in the main building of the College. Telephone No. 135 C. The street cars pass within one hundred yards of the College building. The Station is glad to receive any inquiries on agricultural subjects. Address all communications to the Agricultural Experiment Station, and not to individuals. They will be referred to the members of the Station staff most competent to answer them, Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. To His Excellency, Daniel L. Russell, Governor of North Carolina. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the opera-tions of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station from January 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898. This report is made in accordance with the following portion of Section 3, of the Hatch Act, of the Congress of the United States for the maintenance of Agricultural Experiment Stations in the various States and Territories. " It shall be the duty of each of the said Stations, annually, on or before the first day of February, to make to the Governor of the State or Territory in which it is located, a full and detailed report of its operations, including a statement of receipts and expendi-tures." Trusting that this report will prove satisfactory to your Excel-lency, I am, Very respectfully yours, J. C. L. HARRIS, President Board of Trustees. 111 The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Presidents Office. Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. Hon. J. C. E. Harris, President Board of Trustees. Sir : I transmit herewith the report of Professor W. A. Withers, Director of the North Carolina Experiment Station from January 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, inclusive. It furnishes a full and clear statement of the work of the Station, together with many gratify-ing evidences of steady growth and increased usefulness to the State under its present head. I have the honor to be Very respectfully, ALEX. Q. HOEEADAY, President. IV The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Office of the Director. Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. To Alex. Q. Holladay, 1,1,. D., President of the N. C. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the opera-tions of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, for the year and a half ending, June 30, 1898. The work for the first six months of this period was performed during the Directorship of Dr. H. B. Battle. This report covers the work of the Station for the twentieth year and a portion of the twenty-first year. It is made in accordance with Section 3, of the Hatch Act, of the Congress of the United States, for the maintenance of Agricultural Experiment Stations in the various States and Territories. The previous Annual Reports of the Station cover periods end-ing with December 31, of each year. The present report is arranged so as to cover the work of the fiscal year ending June 30, in accord-ance with the wish of United States Department of Agriculture, expressed to me in a letter which is appended hereto. I trust the report will prove satisfactory to yourself, the Board of Trustees and His Excellency, the Governor of the State, to whom I should be pleased for you to transmit it in accordance with the law above referred to. Very respectfully, W. A. WITHERS, Acting Director. [copy.] United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations. Washington, D. C, June 29, 1897. Dear Sir : The Experiment Stations in fifteen States now make the Annual Reports of their operations as well as their Financial Reports, cover the fiscal year ending June 30. Now that this De-partment is required to make a report to Congress on the work and expenditures of the Stations for each fiscal year, it would be better, as far as we are concerned, if it was the uniform practice of the Stations to make their Annual Reports for the fiscal year. There is nothing in the Hatch Act to forbid this. That act simply calls for an Annual Report without defining exactly the period to be covered. Will you kindly inform me whether there is anything in the laws of your State which would prevent a change in your prac-tice in this regard or any other good and sufficient reasons for making your report cover a period other than the fiscal year ? If we could receive the report of the work and expenditures of all the Stations by September 1, it would enable us to make our report to Congress at the opening of the session in December. It would then receive proper consideration by the committees in con-nection with the appropriation bill. As it is now, the information available for these committees is a year old when the report is con-sidered and may unfairly represent the condition of affairs at a number of the Stations at that time. Very truly yours, (Signed) A. C. TRUE, Director. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Letter of transmittal to the Governor in Letter of transmittal to the President of the Board of Trustees iv Letter of transmittal to the President of the College v Letter of Dr. A. C. True, Director, office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Agriculture VI Report of the Director ix Scope of work ix Chemical and microscopical work ix Experimental work in the field, stables and diary ix Bureau of information x Samples for examination x Divisions of the station x Equipment. x Experiment station council xi The working force of the station ". xi The publications of the station xn Summary of publications issued from Jan. 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, inclusive xni Of the annual reports of the station. . . *. xni Of the regular bulletins xiv Of the special bulletins xvi Of the information bulletins xvi Of the press bulletins xvn Of the bulletin xvn Co-operative horticultural work at Southern Pines xix The examination of nursery stock xx Matter for ' ' the bulletin " , xx Farmers' institutes xxi Correspondence xxi Feeding experiments xxi Testing for tuberculosis. xxi Field crop tests xxn Poultry keeping xxn Horticultural experiments xxn Botanical investigations xxin Entomological work xxin Experimental chemical work xxin Fertilizer control analyses.. xxin Analysis of samples for the public xxin Acknowledgements xxiv Books and pamphlets xxiv Papers and journals outside the State xxv Papers received from inside the State xxvi Conclusion. . xxvi Report of the agriculturist xxvn Report of the chemist. xxxm Report of the horticulturist, botanist and entomologist xxxv Financial statement for the year ending June 30, 1897 xu Financial statement for the year ending June 30, 1898 xiji viii TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Fertilizer analyses of the fertilizer control 1 A watning in regard to compost peddlers 35 The San Jose scale in North Carolina 43 Home-mixed fertilizers and composts 57 Volumetric estimation of phosphoric acid 121 A new tobacco pest 129 Comfortable low-cost barns 137 Feeding experiments, milk records, etc 157 Ornithology of North Carolina 193 Crimson clover 229 Miscellaneous farm bulletin 249 A study of lettuces . 265 Digestion experiments, pasteurization of milk 273 The apple in North Carolina 305 Medicinal plants of North Carolina 327 The fertilizer control for 1897 411 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE N. C. AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENT STATION; For the Half Year Endinc June 30, 1897, and for the Year Ending June 30, I 898; 20th and 2 I st Years. The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station was estab-lished in March, 1877, with a two-fold object in view : First, To act as a Fertilizer Control Station; and second, as an Agricultural Experiment Station in the true sense of the word. Until 1887 the Station was supported entirely by the State from the tax on fertilizers, but by legislative enactment of that year it received the fund derived from the United States Hatch Act for the maintenance of Experiment Stations in the various States and Ter-ritories, and therefore the scope of the work was largely increased. The Station receives at present, also, a sum from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for conducting the analytical work of the Fertilizer Control. Scope of Work. I. Chemical and Microscopical Work, including — 1. The analysis of fertilizers legally on sale in the State. 2. The analysis of agricultural chemicals, of composts and home-made ferti-lizers, and all materials from which they can be made. 3. The analysis of marls and mucks. 4. The analysis of feeding-stuffs. 5. The examination of seeds with reference to their purity, and capacity to germinate. 6. The examination of grasses and weeds. h 7. The study of insects injurious to vegetation. 8. The analysis of milk, butter and other dairy products. 9. Investigation of fungous diseases of plants, and remedies designed to erad-icate them. 10. Such other chemical and microscopical investigations as are demanded from time to time. II. Experimental Work in the Fieed, Stable and Dairy, including — 1. The effect of different fertilizers on various soils of the State. 2. The study of improved methods for the cultivation of the staple crops. 3. The study of the best treatment of worn-out lands. 4. The study of the best system for the rotation of crops. ' 5. Chemical investigations, with practical experiments with cattle, on the value of the various forage crops, especially those common in North Car-olina. 6. Investigations upon the growth of new crops for this climate, in compari-son with those we now have. 7. The construction of the silo, and value of ensilage. 8. The study of the growth of cattle using different feeding-stuffs. x N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. 9. Investigations in the production of milk and butter, under different con-ditions and with various implements. 10. Digestion experiments with stock, to ascertain the real value of various feeding-stuffs. 11. Experiments with the various feeding rations, to ascertain how far the feeding standards can be relied on. 12. Tests to compare the value of different varieties of fruits, vegetables and other horticultural products. 13. Investigations designed to develope the vineyard and trucking interests of the State. 14. Investigations upon the diseases of cattle and domestic animals, and the dissemination of information concerning the treatment of various diseases. 15. Studies as to the best methods of enlarging the poultry business of the State, and placing it upon a profitable footing. 16. Such other work, from time to time, as may be deemed advisable for the interest of the agriculture of the State. III. A Bureau of Information upon all subjects connected with the agricultural industries of the State. Under this head is included — 1. Publications of the Stations, embracing five different classes of bulletins and two of reports. These publications contain the results of the investi-gations carried on, as well as a resume of work done elsewhere, in order instruct or advance the general agricultural interests. 2. Direct correspondence, through the various divisions of the Station, with individual farmers, information being always given as promptly and care-fully as possible by those most competent to do so. 3. Personal contact of the Station staff with farmers and others at institutes and fairs, and by visits to farms, etc. IV. Samples for Examination.—Samples, when sent by citizens of the State, for chemical or other examinations, will be examined and their value reported free of charge, under certain conditions and stipulations — 1. If the experimental work of the Station will not be retarded. 2. If the work is of an agricultural character. 3. If the sample is from the sender's own land. 4. If they are of suffcient public interest, and the Station is free to publish the results. 5. If the samples are taken and sent according to the Station's printed forms, and are fully described. Divisions of the Station. In order to facilitate the work of the Experiment Station, it has been subdivided into — Executive Division. 6. Horticultural Division. Chemical Division. 7. Veterinary Division. Agricultural Division. 8. Fertilizer Control Division. Botanical Division. 9. Division of Publications. Entomological Division. Equipment. The Director's office is in the Main Building of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The removal from the Agricultural Building in Raleigh was made on July 14, 1898. The Experiment Farm is located about one mile and a half west of the city of Raleigh, and adjoins the Fair Grounds of the State Agricultural Society. It is near the College grounds. On the farm are kept located the experimental dairy, silos and barn, in which are the cattle under test for production of milk and for TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xi other purposes. Here is also located the poultry work of the Sta-tion, comprising eight yards and the necessary equipment for car-rying on the work. Field crop tests are also conducted as far as possible upon the land of the farm. During the period embraced by this Report, Primrose Hall was erected upon the College grounds and is now used for the College and Station work in horticulture, botany and entomology—the bo-tanical and entomological work having been transferred to this hall from the Agricultural Building in Raleigh. A part of the land adjoining this building was assigned for horticultural pur-poses. A portion of the horticultural work is also done at Southern Pines. The experimental chemical work is performed in the College laboratories and in the laboratories in the Agriciiltural Building. The Fertilizer Control Division occupies the offices and labora-tories located upon the main floor in the north wing of the Agri-cultural Building in Raleigh, immediately north of the State capitol. Experiment Station Council. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees held in June, 1897, ^ was decided to create a Station Council. This Council is composed of the President of the College, and the Professors of Agriculture, Horticulture and Chemistry. The President of the College is Pres-ident of the Council, the remaining members are respectively Agri-culturist, Horticulturist and Chemist of the Station. The Working Force at the Station. During the past year and a half several changes were made in the Station staff. The following connections with the Station wrere severed : On July 1, 1897, Dr. H. B. Battle, Director; Messrs. B. W. Kil-gore, W. M. Allen and S. E. Asbury, Assistant Chemists ; and Mr. A. F. Bowen, Secretary. On September 1, 1897, Mr. Gerald McCar-thy, Botanist and Entomologist. On February 15, 1898, Mr. S. B. Moore, Clerk, and Mr. E. W. Physioc, Mailing Clerk ; on March 31, Mr. J. D. Huffham, Jr., Assistant Chemist. The following additions were made to the Station staff : On July 1, 1897, W. A. Withers, Chemist; Messrs. C. B. Williams, C. D. Harris, A. W. Blair, J. D. Huffham, Jr., and J. A. Bizzell, Assistant Chemists ; Mr. J. M. Fix, Secretary ; Mr. S. B. Moore, Clerk ; Mr. H. E. King, Chief Clerk of the Fertilizer Control Di-vision. On September 1st, Mr. J. M. Johnson, Assistant Agricul-turist, and Mr. C. W. Hyams, Assistant Botanist. On March 15, 1898, Mrs. E. V. Darby, Stenographer. On April 1st, C. M. Hughes, Clerk. On May 1st, Mr. G. S. Fraps, Assistant Chemist. xii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. On March 15th, Mr. F. G. Kelly, who had previously per-formed clerical duties, began work as Assistant Chemist. The Chemist of the Station was asked to assume also, temporarily, the duties of the Directorship. He has been doing so since July 1, 1897. Publications ok the Station. The publications of the Station are as follows : A. Annual Reports ok the Station.—Each edition 1,000 copies. Numbered consecutively with the years, 1-1878, 2-1879, 3-1880, and so on. Prior to 1888 these reports contained results from the year's work, and took the place of separate Bulletins which appeared thereafter. The An-nual Reports now contain copies of the regular Bulletins issued during the year, and are sent to exchanges only, and not to the general mailing list. Latest issued was nineteenth annual for 1896. B. Biennial Report ok the Station.—Sent to the Governor for transmission to the General Assembly. Each edition 500 to 3,000 copies, numbered consecutively i-(i877, i878),V(i879, 1880), 3-(i88i, 1882), etc. These reports are demanded by State authorities, and are not intended for general distribution. Latest issue was Ninth Biennial Re-port for the years 1895 and 1896. C. Bulletins—Regular. Each edition about 20,000 copies. For popular reading, with the scientific terms avoided as far as possible. Sent to all names on the mailing list. When bulletins more or less technical in character are issued they are sent to the scientific institutions, but notice in regard to them is given to every name upon our mailing list, and the Station is glad to supply them to any who may wish them. The latest issue is No. 151. D. Bulletins—Special. Each edition, varying in number from 500 to 60,000 copies for special purposes, as occasion de-mands. Numbered consecutively 1, 2, etc. Sent only to special names, as occasion demands. Latest issue is No. 49. E. Inkormation Bulletins.—Designed for distribution to col-lect information concerning practical and useful plans of farm management or methods of cultivation of diiferent crops, etc., to be collated thereafter for use in general bul-letins. The latest issue is No. 8. F. Bulletins—Press. Each edition 600 copies. Short reading-articles for newspaper columns. First number was May 24, 1890. Sent to newspaper exchanges. Latest issue is No. 78. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xiii G. The Bulletin.—This publication is issued monthly under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture, and, among other things, contains popular articles by members of the Station staff, answers to queries and other informa-tion of interest to the general public. This publication has, to a large extent, taken the place of our press bulletins. The three classes of bulletins previously published by the Sta-tion in regard to the weather are no longer issued on account of the separation of the State Weather Service from the Experiment Station on October i, 1896, to which attention was called in a pre-vious report. The special bi-weekly fertilizer Bulletins are no longer issued separately by the Experiment Station, as these analyses are published in The Bulletin under the supervision of the Depart-ment of Agriculture. Publications During the Year. During the period embraced by this Report, publications have been issued, divided as foilows : Series A—Annual Report of the Station—1 report, containing 88 pages. " C—Regular Bulletins—16 bulletins, containing 372 pages. " D—Special Bulletins—10 bulletins, containing 170 pages. " E—Information Bulletin—2 bulletins, containing 3 pages. " F—Press Bulletins—2 bulletins, containing 2 pages. " G—The Bulletin—19 issues, containing 150 pages. Total during first half of 1897, 20 publications, containing 308 pages, and during the year ending June 30, 1898, 30 publications, containing 477 pages. Total for year and a half, 50 publications, with 785 pages. SUMMARY OF PUBLICATIONS ISSUED FROM JANUARY 1, 1S97, TO JUNE 30, 1898. A. OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE STATION. No. 19.—The Work during 1896, of the North Carolina Agricul-tural Experiment Station. January 9, 1897. 88 pp. Letter of transmittal. Board of Control and .staff of Experiment Station. Report of the Director. The Fertilizer Control Station. Agricultural Experiment Station. Divisions of the Station. Equipment. The working force of the Station. The publications of the Station. Summary of publications issued during 1896. Co-operative horticultural work at South-ern Pines. Examination of nursery stock. Preparation of the matter for the Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Co-operation with the United States Weather Bureau. Legislation in regard to crop diseases. New poultry Division. Forage grasses. The home vegetable garden. Educational bulle-tins. Acknowledgments. Report of the Agriculturist. Report of the first assistant Chemist. Report of the Botanist and Entomologist. Report of the Horticulturist. Report of the poultry manager. Financial statement. Ap-pendix, containing the opinions of nearly 1,000 North Carolina farmers, repre-senting ninety-five counties, in regard to the work of the North Carolina Agri-cultural Experimant Station. The value of the Station work as expressed by 146 non-residents from thirty-three States. The value of the Station's work as expressed by fifteen residents of foreign countries. Bulletins 124 to 135, in-clusive, issued during 1896. xiv N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. C. OF THE REGULAR BULLETINS, 16 ISSUES. No. 136.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. January 12, 1897. 34 pp. Including official analyses of spring and fall samples of 1896. The Fertilizer Control Station. Analyses for 1897. The present fer-tilizer laws. When analyses of fertilizers are made for farmers. The necessity of accurate sampling. The need of fertilizer analyses, and an explanation of terms used. Terms used in analysis. Phosphoric acid. Nitrogen or ammonia. Potash. Water. Guaranteed percentage. Mechanical condition. Relative seaboard value per ton of unmixed ingredients. How the valuations of con-stituents are determined. How values per ton are calculated, and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points, and the detailed analyses of all fertilizers during 1896. No. 137.—A Warning in Regard to Compost Peddlers. January 20, 1897. 8 pp. Warning to the people of North Carolina against the " Champion Chemical Process Company," or any similar concern operated on the same basis. A copy of the circular distributed by the company, and a dis-cussion of the same. No. 138.—The San Jose Scale in North Carolina. January 30, 1897. 14 pp. Plants attacked. Original home. Life history. Methods of dissemination . Natural enemies. Remedies. Seven experimental tests. What to do with the infested nursery stock. Formulas for scale insec-ticides. Whale oil soap, winter rosin wash, hydrocyanic acid gas: Discussion of the formulas and method of applying. Proposed bill regulating inspection. A paper prepared for the General Assembly on crop pests and their damages. No. 139.—Home-Mixed Fertilizers and Composts. February 8, 1897. 16 pp. Introduction. The need of home-mixing of fertilizers. The advantage of compost-making. When to prepare composts. How and where to prepare the compost. How much to apply. How and when to apply. Top dressings. Do not apply fertilizers or composts too near the seed or plant. The use of stable manure. Stable manure composted with other ingredients, to be used in addition to those given in the formulas. Cost of ingredients. Approximate retail cost of fertilizing ingredients in Central North Carolina. Formulas for mixtures and composts. F^ive formulas for mixed fertilizers, and five for composts for cotton and corn. Four formulas for mixed fertilizers, and five for composts for small grain. Six formulas for mixed fertilizers and four for composts for tobacco. Two formulas for mixed fertilizers for grass. Eight formulas for mixed fertilizers for vegetables. Four formulas for mixed fertili-zers for sweet potatoes. Three formulas for mixed fertilizers for peanuts. Four formulas for mixed fertilizers for fruit. Two formulas for mixed fertili-zers for cow-peas. Five formulas for mixed fertilizers for top dressing. No. 140.—Volumetric Estimation of Phosphoric Acid. May 10, 1897. 8 pp. A further communication on the estimation of phosphoric acid by titration of the ammonium phospho-molybdate precipitate with standard alkali, and comparative phosphoric acid results on various fertilizer materials by gravimetric and volumetric methods. No. 141.—A New Tobacco Pest. July 2r, 1897. 8 pp. Description of the tobacco miner. Remedies. Two cuts. No. 142.—Comfortable L,ow Cost Barns. August 23, 1897. 20 pp. Cheap small barn for a correspondent. Barn for the State Geological Survey. Still another cheap barn. Circular barn, and yards for thirty cows. North Carolina Experiment Farm barn. 13 cuts. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xv No. 143.—Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, Etc. September 30, 1897. 36 pp. Comparative effect of some rations fed to milch cows. Effect of changes of food. Table of temperature in Experiment Farm barn. Conclusion. Rations calculated to digestible constituents for 1,000 pounds live weight. Is skim, or buttermilk, best for pigs? Tables of feed and results. Summary of record of milk and butter production of station herd 1895 and 1896. Note on records of cows for 1896. Tables giving value of pro-duct and of food consumed and prices paid for food. Experiment Farm barn, well suited for animal comforts. Table of stable temperature record. No. 144.—Ornithology of North Carolina. October 30, 1897. 36 pp. A list of the birds of North Carolina; with notes of each species, arranged by famlies with index. The list includes 303 species, with 22 which would seem to be found on the coast or within the borders of the State. Map of North Carolina. No. 145.—Crimson Clover. December 22, 1897. 20 pp. Experiments at the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Press Bulletins on crimson clover. Crimson clover among North Carolina farmers. Questions asked and summary of replies. Reported failures. Conclusions generally favorable. Serious losses from feed-ing over-ripe crimson clover hay. Early and recent introductions of crimson clover into North Carolina. No. 146.—Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin. December 31, 1897. 16 pp. A small variety test of cow-peas. Test of effect of chemical manure and cotton-seed meal on the germination of wheat. A variety test of cotton. Some experiments with potatoes. Tables. No. 147.—A Study of Lettuces. June 6, 1898. 8 pp. The results of a varietal test of lettuces, for the benefit of the lettuce growers of North Carolina. No. 148.—Digestion Experiments and Pasteurization of Milk. June 8, 1898. 32 pp. Hay alone, and in rations with cotton-seed meal. Crab-grass hay. Tables showing percentage composition of foods, waste and solid excrement, nutrients consumed and excreted with percentages digested. Pas-teurization of milk. Table showing how temperature of milk follows that of water in controlled pasteurization. One cut. No. 149.—The Apple in North Carolina. June 11, 1898. 22 pp. Analyses of the apple tree and its products. Seedlings vs. grafted fruit trees. Where apples will grow. What kind of trees to plant. What age to plant trees. Preparation of the land for the orchard. How far apart to plant trees. When to plant. How to plant a tree. Laying off the rows. Pruning the tops. Pruning the growing tree. Cultivation of apple orchards. Do not pasture the orchard. Manuring the orchard. General treatment. What varieties of apples shall we plant ? Summer apples. Fall apples. Winter apples. Varieties for Eastern North Carolina. For midland North Carolina. For Western North Carolina. Crab apples. Gathering and marketing apples. How to gather apples. Keeping winter apples. Fungous diseases of the apple. Insect enemies of the apple. Composition of spraying mixtures. No. 150.—Medicinal Plants which have been collected and used in North Carolina. June 13, 1898. 84 pp. 833 varieties arranged by families. The Bulletin is aimed as a record and not an endorsement of the medicinal properties of any plant. An index is added giving also the more common name. Xvi N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. No. 151.—The Fertilizer Control During 1897. June 15, 1898. 12 pp. Publications containing fertilizer analyses. Relation of the Station to the fertilizer control. Firms which registered brands for sale in North Carolina during T897. Extent and distribution of the trade. Valuation of fertilizers and how they are determined. Average precentage composition of fertilizers on sale in North Carolina for several years. Increase of number of brands and the difficulty in a proper control. General conclusions. D. OF THE SPECIAL BULLETINS, 10 ISSUES. No. 40.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. February 20, 1897. 14 pp. First bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. The pres-ent fertilizer laws. New plan for stating the analyses of fertilizers. Terms used in an analysis. How the valuations of constituents are determined. How values per ton are calculated and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points. Analyses of 53 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 41.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. March 6, 1897. 16 pp. Second bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents-similar to No. 40. Analyses of 92 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 42.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. March 20, 1897. 22 pp. Third bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents similar to No. 40. Analyses of 148 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 43.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. April 3, 1897. 24 pp. Fourth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents similar to No. 40. Analyses of 193 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 44.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. April 17, 1897. 28 pp. Fifth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents simi-lar to No. 40. Analyses of 245 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 45.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. May 11, 1897. 32 pp. Sixth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents simi-lar to No. 40. Analyses of 281 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 46.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. May 22, 1897. 8 pp. Seventh bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Issued as a supple-ment to No. 45. Analyses of 42 additional samples analyzed by the fertilizer control . No. 47.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. ? June 26, 1897. 12 pp. Eighth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Issued as a supplement to No. 46. Analyses of 103 additional samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 48.—The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. October 20, 1897. 12 pp. Pamphlet descriptive of the work of the Station and its exhibit at the Annual Fair of the North Carolina Agricultural Society. No. 49.—Sugar Beets. March 12, 1898. 2 pp. Directions in regard to soil, fertilizers, and the planting of sugar beets. E. OF THE INFORMATION BULLETIN, 2 ISSUES. No. 7.—July 27, 1897. I p. Inquiries as to pests of tobacco. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. XVH No. 8.—February 28, 1898. 2 pp. Inquries as to dairying and markets for dairy products in North Carolina. F. OF THE PRESS BULLETINS, 2 ISSUES. No. J J.—February 1, 1898. 1 p. Article : Concerning publication of fertilizer analyses by the Department of Agriculture, instead of Experiment Station. No. 78.—February 17, 1898. 1 p. Article : Sugar-beet seed for distribution by the Experiment Station. G. THE BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPART-MENT OF AGRICULTURE, 7 ISSUES. January, 1897. 4% pp. Articles: Improve yonr stock. White specs or frogs eye of tobacco. Year book of the Experiment Station for 1894. Two and two make four. Decom-posing old bones without grinding. Improving land for grass. Tread-power for dairy purposes, churns, butter-workers, etc. Tobacco stems as a fertilizer. Propagating the scuppernong grape-vine. February, 1897. 3 pp. Articles : A possible cotton pest. Look out for cut-worms. The Experiment Station year-book for 1895. A warning in regard to compost peddlers. The so-called dissolved bone. Ensilage for horses. Crops for truck in central North Carolina. Dairy Journal. Pit for keeping milk and butter- Shade trees for lawns. March, 1897. 7 pp. Articles : Commercial fertilizers. New plan for stating the analyses of fertili-zers. Do not buy nursery stock from unreliable parties. Ramie. North Car-olina Experiment Station sugar-corn. Table containing ninety-two fertilizer analyses at Experiment Station for the State Board of Agriculture. April, 1897. 8 pp. Articles: That compost peddler. What shall we feed the work mule ? Preserv-atives for milk and cream,—let them alone. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made, by North Carolina Experiment Station for the State Board of Agriculture. May, 1897. 4 pp. Articles: How to use fertilizers. Newr forage and fibre plants. Some cheapo coarse cattle food. Do not give up the fight too soon. Look out for cattle flies. Depreciation of fertilizers. Feeding problem. Pruning a pear tree. A ration for dairy cow. Variety of muskmelon. Buckwrheat. June, 1897. 8 pp. Articles : _ Rotation for a forty-acre field. Poultry pointers for summer. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made at the North Carolina Agricultural Ex-periment Station for the Board of Agriculture. July, 1897. iy/2 pp. Articles : Fruit nurseries needed in North Carolina. The American hen. What to plant in the corn field. Culture of ramie. Novelties in forage plants. Chickens for general use. Hogs and feeding, carrots, turnips, etc. Fertilizer for strawberries. Crimson clover for horses. Soil and fertilizer for celery.. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses, made at the North Carolina Experi-ment Station, for the Board of Agriculture. North Carolina State Library Raleigh xviii N.C AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1893. G. THE BULLETIN OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF NORTH CAROLINA, 12 ISSUES. September, 1897. 13 pp. Articles : Natural plant food. Warning to purchasers of nursery stock. A new shade-tree pest. Practical poultry pointers. A new disease of asparagus. In-spection of nurseries. Cabbage blight. Weeds in the clover field. Cooked cotton seed as a human food and as a feed for stock. Fertilizer for wheat. Cur-ing of corn. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made by the North Caro-lina Experiment Station for the Department of Agriculture. October, 1897. 11 pp. Articles : Examination of nursery stock. Nurseries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Laws affecting the sanitary ar-rangements for stock, etc., and their relation to the public health. Remedy for moles. Some agricultural and horticultural books. Fertilizer for wheat. Street shade trees. Two hundred and seventeen fertilizer analyses by the. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the Board of Agriculture. November, 1897. 8 pp. Articles : Examination of nursery stock. Nurseries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Crimson clover seed. Treatment of bones on the farm. Testing the health of the dairy herd. Rotation of crops. Fruit. Acid phosphate. Ration for cows. Gathering and curing corn. Ninety-eight analyses of fall samples of fertilizers by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the North Carolina Department of Agri-culture. December, 1897. 11 yz pp. Articles : Request of breeders of stock. Examination of nursery stock. Nurse-ries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Improving native grass. Cotton-seed meal for cattle. Cattle suitable for Western North Carolina. Insect pests of chestnuts and English walnuts. Acid phosphate and high grade fertilizers. Fertilizer for strawberries. Cotton-seed meal for a feed and fertilizer. Sun-flower seed. Clover parasite. Fertilizer for strawberries. Ashes. Hedges. January poultry notes. Note in regard to fertilizer analyses. Table containing analyses of 131 samples of fertilizers for the Department of Agriculture. January, 1898. 9^2 pp- Articles : Note on fertilizer bulletins. Pure food congress. Pea threshers. Pure food legislation. Sugar-beet seed for distribution. Sugar-beet in North Caro-lina. Improvement of land. Irish potatoes. The wide tire. Fertilizer for sweet potatoes. Cotton-seed meal and kernels. Sheep-raising. Worth of soda as a top dressing. Lime in the compost heap. Feeds and fertilizers. Remedy for the escape of ammonia from the manure pile. Leaves and their fertilizing value. Onions. Velvet bean. Ashes as a top dressing. Fertilizers for Irish potatoes and strawberries. Tobacco stems for trees. February, 1898. 6*4 pp. Articles : National legislation for nurserymen. The commission for controlling •crop pests. Note on fertilizer bulletins. Fertilizer analyses for 1898. Prepa-ration of samples. Plan of reporting analyses of fertilizer. Terms used in analysis. Methods of analysis. Guaranteed percentages. Mechanical con-dition. Valuations. How values per ton are calculated, and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points. The Experimental Farm of the State Horticultural Society at Southern Pines. Poultry at the Experiment Station. Station stock among the farmers. Some butter sales. Apples suitable for Eastern North Carolina. Rape culture. Time of pruning apple trees. A butter-maker's difficulty. Table containing thirty-eight fertilizer analyses for the Department of Agriculture. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xix March 15, 1898. 3 ^ pp. Articles : Table of freight rate from seaboard to interior points. Note in regard to fertilizer analyses for 1898. Preparation of samples. Plan of reporting analyses of fertilizers.Terms used in an analysis. Table containing sixty-eight fertilizer analyses for North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Marcli 31, 1898. 6 pp. Articles : Rheumatism in hogs. Cotton-seed meal. Onions, cantaloupes and cucumbers. Some fertilizer hints. Giant beggar-weed. Utilization of offal from herring fisheries. How to apply stable manure. Fertilizer for sweet patatoes. Table containing ninety-nine fertilizer analyses for the North Caro-lina Department of Agriculture. April 15, 1898. $y2 pp. Table containing 192 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department Agri-culture. May 1, 1898. 10 pp. Articles : A dairy inspection. Comparative results from fertilizers. Fertilizer for tobacco. Sheep. Reduction of bones. Spray for apple trees. Analysis of soil. A spray for apple trees. Box lye for plants. Table containing 240 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. May 15, 1898. 7^ pp. Table containing 282 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. June I, 1898. IO pp. Articles : Handling the apple crop. Fire blight. Effect of lime in the compost heap. Table containing 344 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Depart-ment of Agriculture. Co-operative Horticultural Work at Southern Pines. This work is divided into two departments—the fruit depart-ment, which was established in 1895, and the vegetable department, which was established in 1896. The work was instituted to study the effects of different proportions of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, and the proportions best suited for the fruit and vegetable crops grown in that section. These farms are located in Moore county, N. C, near Southern Pines, and have been alluded to in previous reports. The work is under the supervision of a commit-tee composed of representatives from the State Horticultural So-ciety, the Experiment Station and the German Kali Works. The representatives at present are as follows : Mr. J. Van Lindley, Pres-ident ; Mr. Thos. L. Brown, Secretary ; and Mr. P. H. Beck, of the Horticultural Society ; Dr. B. Von Herff, of the German Kali Works; Prof. W. A.' Withers, Acting Director, and Prof. W. F. Massey, Horticulturist, of the Experiment Station. Prof. W. A. Withers is Chairman of the Supervising Committee, Prof. Massey is Horticulturist, and Mr. A. Rhodes, Assistant Horticulturist of the Station, is the Superintendent of the Farm. The chemical work and work of supervision are performed without compensation xx N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. by the members of the staff of the Experiment Station. The Ger-man Kali Works contributes a sufficient amount to cover other expenses incurred in the management of the farms. The report for 1895 has been issued. The reports for 1896 and 1897 have been delayed for various reasons, but will doubtless be issued soon. The Examination of the Nursery Stock. Atteution was called early in 1897 by the Experiment Station to the fact that the San Jose scale, which had proven so injurious to the fruit trees in other States, had made its appearance in North Carolina. A bill was framed by the Experiment Station, endorsed by the State Horticultural Society, the Board of Agriculture, and other organizations of influence, and finally enacted into law by the General Assembly. The law, as enacted, creates the North Carolina Commission for Controlling Crop Pests, and makes its membership the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Director of the State Agricultural Experiment Station, and the President of the State Horticultural Society. The Director is Chairman of the Commission. Authority is given to this Commission to adopt such regulations for the shipment of nursery stock to consumers in North Carolina as may be deemed necessary, and not inconsistent with the constitution and the laws of the State or the United States. Eight circulars have been issued cantaining the regulations adopted by the Commission in regard to inspection and shipment of nursery stock. Since that time the nurseries of the State have been regu-larly inspected, and an attempt has also been made to impress upon the owners of orchards the importance of exterminating the scale. A full and detailed report will be made to the Legislature of 1899 in regard to the work of the Commission. Matter for "The Bulletin.' 1 At the request of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Experi-ment Station furnishes, each month for publication, in the Bulletin of the Department, various articles of popular interest relating to the work of the Experiment Station. It furnishes, also, such re-plies to letters received as are deemed of general interest. With the issue of July, 1897, this publication ceased to exist as the Bul-letin of the Department. Its successor is "The Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station of North Carolina," which is published monthly under the supervision of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. The first issue bears date of Septem-ber, 1897. Through the medium of these publications the Expe-riment Station has furnished, during the past year and a half, 148 articles and 15 tables containing, analyses of fertilizers, and cov-ering in all 1 50 pages' of printed matter. twentieth and twenty-first annual reports. xxi Farmers' Institutes. During the summer of 1897 Institutes were held in 24 counties under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture. By invita-tion of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Experiment Station participated in this work, and, with few exceptions, had some rep-resentative present at every institute. Good has doubtless been accomplished by our efforts to reach, in person, the farmers of the State. It is to be hoped that as the years go by the people of North Carolina will more fully appreciate this important means of stimulating thought along agricultural lines, and that they will give the representatives of the Station an opportunity of forming their acquaintance. Correspondence. Next after publications, the most important agency for bringing the Station into contact with the people of the State is through correspondence. The letters amount to about ten thousand annu-ally, in addition to the requests received for publications. These letters contain queries of almost every conceivable nature in regard to agriculture. Although the labor involved in replying to these numerous letters makes heavy demands upon the time of the staff, it is felt that the number of the letters is an indication of high ap-preciation of what is being accomplished. It is a matter of pleasure, apart from duty, to aid the agricultural interests of the State in this way. The answers to the letters of greatest general interest are published in the Bulletin. Feeding Experiments. Some time ago the Experiment Station undertook the study of the digestibility of various stock-feeds used in the State. This work is still in progress. During the period embraced by this Re-port, experiments were made on the digestibility of crab-grass hay, cow-pea meal, corn bran, green rape and rice bran. A pig-feeding experiment was also terminated. Testing For Tuberculosis. During the year 1897 Tuberculosis made its appearance in the Experiment Station herd. By the Tuberculin test six animals were condemned and slaughtered. Some of the animals were very valua-ble, and their slaughtering resulted, of course, in much loss to the Station. While the necessity for slaughtering was a matter of regret, it is felt that the wide publicity given to it served to call attention to danger of Tuberculosis in a rather emphatic way, and the result accomplished, in arousing the public interest, has been very gratifying to the Station. Although the Tuberculin test XXli N - c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. is recognized in many States, yet there are those who express donbt in regard to its reliability as an indication of the presence of Tu-berculosis. But, notwithstanding this, information is wanting as to one who is willing to drink milk from cattle which have been condemned by the Tuberculin test, unless the milk has first been pasteurized or sterilized. During the past year the Station has made tests of various herds in the State, and now some of the stock raisers advertise the fact that their cattle do not react with the Tuberculin test. It seems that the sentiment in favor of the test is growing. The Station will continue to agitate the matter, feeling that the condemnation of Tuberculous cattle by this test cannot fail to result in the im-provement of the health of the people. Field Crop Tests. Upon the Experiment Farm, during the past year, some variety tests were made with potatoes. The Station also made some tests with peanuts, cow-peas, velvet-beans, hemp, soiling crops and crim-son clover. Poultry Keeping. In the poultry work such cheap appliances were used as could be made by any one raising poultry under the ordinary farm condi-tions. The poultry experiments for 1897 were aimed to be with pure bred instead of cross bred fowls. Hatching and rearing, both artifically and naturally, noting cost, and health of various breeds un-der different conditions, were to receive careful attention. Unfortu-nately, however, the reports were destroyed by fire, and there is a much smaller number of results for publication than would be otherwise. Feeding experiments were conducted with the various breeds and a careful record kept of the cost, health, etc. Some disease experiments have been made on birds belonging to others. Horticultural Experiments. On account of the co-operative experiments of the Station at Southern Pines, a large part of the work of the Horticultural Divi-sion was transferred to that place from Raleigh, and the larger part of the work of the Horticulturist has been as Horticulturist of the Supervising Committee. In addition to this co-operative work, however, a small portion of land was leased at Southern Pines, and experiments have been made upon it. Among these would be men-tioned some co-operative work with the United States Department of Agriculture in determining the difference in some species of trees from the seeds collected in different altitudes and climates, in the growing of flowering bulbs for market, and in the variety tests of melons. Some variety tests with lettuces have been made. At- TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. XXlii tention has been called to the use of glass in market-gardening. Experiments have been made in forcing tomatoes and snap-beans. Botanical Investigations. Experiments were begun with edible and poisonous mushrooms and on the medicinal plants of the State with a view to cultivating and improving them. Tests were also begun of various forage, fibre and economic plants. The Station is endeavoring to complete its herbarium collection of the native plants of the State. During the summer the Assistant Botanist will be engaged in this work in Western North Carolina. A bulletin has been issued containing a list of the medicinal plants which have been collected and used in the State. It is hoped this bulletin will prove valuable as a record. Entomological Work. In January, 1897, this Station called attention of the people to the appearance of the dreaded San Jose scale in the State. Means were suggested for its destruction and for preventing its spreading. In connection with the Commission for Controlling Crop Pests, the ' Entomologist of this Station made an inspection during the spring-and fall of 1897 of the nurseries of the State. Many specimens of twigs infested with various insect pests have been forwarded to the Station. These have been identified and remedies suggested when known. Experimental Chemical Work. The Chemical Division has worked jointly with the Agricultural Division in studying the coefficients of the digestibility of various feeding-stuffs. This division has made the analyses of the fer-tilizers used, and of the fruit and vegetable products of the Expe-rimental Farm at Southern Pines. It has also made analyses of referees' samples for the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. Further investigation was made upon the volumetric method for the estimation of phosphoric acid. Investigations are in progress as to the extent of the adulteration of human foods and the adaptability of the soil and climate of the State to the culture of the sugar-beet. Fertilizer Control Analyses. On account of the increasing number of brands of the fertilizers licensed for sale in the State, and of the increased consumption of fertilizers in the State, the demands upon this division have con-siderably increased. The samples of fertilizers are taken under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture and sent to the Station in sealed glass bottles, bearing a number by which the xxiv N- c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. sample is identified. The analyses are completed with all the dis-patch consistent with accuracy, and the result reported to the Com-missioner. The Commissioner of Agriculture publishes the results at frequent intervals in the Bulletin. Analyses of Samples for the Public There is no appropriation from any source to provide for the analyses of samples for the public, and this work is not in any sense a part of the regular work of the Station. The Station, how-ever, is very glad, as a matter of courtesy, in this way to serve the public, where the work does not conflict in any way with the regular work of the Station, where the work is of an agricultural char-acter, the results of general interest, and the Station is free to pub-lish the results. During the period embraced by the Report anal-yses were made of many samples of waters for the Board of Health to test their purity and adaptibility for drinking purposes, of vari-ous fertilizing materials, feeding-stuffs, and other miscellaneous samples. Acknowledgments. The Station takes pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the books and pamphlets, journals and newspapers stated below. The reports and bulletins of the United States Department of Agricul-ture, and of various Experiment Stations in the different States, Canada and abroad are not included in the list, but are regularly received. Commissioner of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y. Reports Vol. i, 2 and 3. Minnesota Dairy and Food Commissioner, St. Paul. Biennial Report 1895-1896. Dr. Chas. W. Dabney, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Washington D. C. A National Department of Science. Prof. H. McCalley, University, Ala. Report on Valley Regions of Alabama. Dr. J. A. Lintner, State Entomologist, Albany, N. Y. nth Annual Report. Prof. A. Williams, New Castle, England. Rrport on Manurial Trial at New Castle-upon-Tyne, England. George McKerron, Superintendent Wisconsin Farmers' Institutes, Madison. Bulletin No. 10. Leland Stanford, Jr. University, California. Contributions to Biology from Hopkins Seaside Laboratory. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pa. Proceedings of Society. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg. Bulletins 16 and 17. Prof. C. Cobb, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. Some Begin-nings in Science. University of Iowa, Iowa City. Laboratory Bulletin No. 1. American Museum of Natural History, New York City. Vol. 8, 1898. New York State Board of Health, Albany. Report for 1896. New York Botanical Garden, New York City. Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2. Institution for Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Raleigh, N. C. Report for i894-'96. Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Bulletins Nos. 5, 10, n and 12. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. Report for 1894. Report of National Museum, 1894. Secretary of Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. Annals of Astronomical Ob-servatory, Vol. 30, Part 4. Report of Director of Observatory. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xxv Miscellaneous Papers, 1888-1895. William Wood & Company, New York City. American Fruit Culturist. Royal Agricultural Society, London, England. Journal of Society, Vol. 8, Part I . Department of Interior, Washington, D. C. Eleventh Census. Farms and Homes. Statistics, Vital and Social. Department of Agriculture, Ontario, Canada. Report for 1895. California Dairy Bureau, San Francisco. Report for 1895-1896. Prof. T. Jamieson, Aberdeen, Scotland. Proceedings Agricultural Research Association for 1896. C. C. Gregg, Superintendent Minnesota Farmers' Institutes, Minneapolis. Re-port for 1896. Superintendent of Farmers' Institutes, Ontario, Canada. Report for i895-'96. Prof. T. Winter, Bangor, North Wales. Report on Field Experiments, 1895. Dr. J. P. Hale, Charleston, W. Va. History and Mystery of the Kanawha Valley . Hon. B. R. Lacy, Raleigh, N. C. North Carolina Bureau of Labor Statistics. Report for 1896. Society of Natural History, Cincinnati, Ohio. Journal No. 2. Maine State Board of Health, Augusta. Report for 1896. California Board of Horticulture, Sacramento. Fifth Biennial Report. Kansas State Horticultural Society, Topeka. Transactions of Society. Wisconsin Dairymens' Association, Madison. 25th Annual Report. Minister of Agriculture, Paris, France. Bulletins 1896. Papers and Journals Outside the State. Agricultural Epitomist Indianapolis, Ind. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales Sydney, Australia. Agricultural South Atlanta, Ga. American Agriculturist New York, N. Y. American Dairyman New York, N. Y. American Farmer Washington, D. C. American Grange Bulletin and Scientic Farmer Cincinnati, Ohio. American Swineherd Chicago, 111. Baltimore Sun (weekly) Baltimore, Md. California Cultivator and Poultry Keeper Los Angeles, Cal. Elgin Dairy Report Elgin, 111. Farm and Home Springfield, Mass. Farm and Home Melbourne, Australia. F'arm and Fireside Springfield, Ohio. Farm, Field and Fireside . Chicago, 111. Farm Magazine Knoxville, Tenn. Farmers' Advocate ; Burlington, Vt. Farmers' Advocate '. London, Ontario. Farmers' Guide Huntington, Ind. Farmers' Home. Dayton, Ohio. Farmers' Magazine Springfield, III. Gleanings in Bee Culture Medina, Ohio. Hoard's Dairyman Fort Atkinson, Wis. Home and Farm .* Louisville, Ky. Homestead Des Moines, Iowa. Hospodar . ; Omaha, Neb. Indiana Farmer Indianapolis, Ind. Industrial American Lexington, Ky. Louisiana Planter New Orleans, La. Mirror and Farmer Manchester, N. H. Montana Fruit Grower Missoula, Mont. National Dairyman and Messenger Kansas City, Mo. National Stockman and Farmer Pittsburg, Pa. New England Florist Boston, Mass. Northwest Horticulturist Tacoma, Wash. New York Weekly Witness New York, N. Y. Ohio Farmer , ^ Cleveland, Ohio. Practical Farmer Philadelphia, Pa. Xxvi N- c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Progressive South Richmond, Va. Public Ledger . Philadelphia, Pa. Rural Californian Los Angeles, Cal. Southern Cultivator Atlanta, Ga. Southern Farmer New Orleans, La. Sugar Beet Philadelphia, Pa. Swine Breeders' Journal Indianapolis, Ind. The Western Creamery San Francisco, Cal. The Wool Record New York, N. Y. Tobacco Leaf New York, N. Y. Trade Journal Baltimore, Md. Wallace Farmer Ames, Iowa. Weekly Times Melbourne, Australia. Papers Received From Inside the State. Alamance Gleaner (Graham). Morganton Herald. Asheville Citizen. North Carolina Baptist (Fayetteville). Beaufort Herald. North Carolina Medical Journal ( Wil- Bulletin North Carolina Board of Health mington). (Raleigh). Progressive Farmer (Raleigh). Caucasian (Raleigh). Roanoke News (Weldon). Charlotte Democrat. Salisbury Watchman. Concord Times. Statesville Landmark. Economist-Falcon (Elizabeth City). Sylvan Valley News (Brevard);. Eastern Reflector. Tarboro Southerner. Free Press (Kinston). The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck). Greensboro Record. Truckers' Journal (Chadbourn). Henderson Gold Leaf. Washington Gazette. Hickory Press. Western Sentinel (Winston). Messenger and Intelligencer (Wades- Wilson Mirror. boro). Wilson Times. Monroe Enquirer. Yankee Settler (Southern Pines). Conclusion. The work of the past year is completed and speaks for itself. It has been accomplished under somewhat difficult conditions, but with an earnest desire to advance to as great an extent as possible the agricultural interests of the State. The Acting Director was invited by the Board of Trustees to preside over the affairs of the Station without any knowledge on his part that such action was contemplated. The action, therefore, is all the more complimentary, and the Acting Director is highly appreciative of this distinguished mark of confidence. He also wishes to express his deep sense of obligation to the President of the College upon whose wisdom and counsel he has so largely re-lied ; and to the other members of the Station staff whose co-opera-tion has been given so cordially. He desires further to acknowledge the help received from the previous publications of the Station. These have been freely used in the preparation of this Report. The reports of the chiefs of the various divisions of the Station are appended hereto as a part of this Report. Very respectfully, W. A. WITHERS, Acting Director. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxvii REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL DIVISION. Acting Director W. A. WITHERS. Sir: The work of this Division went on to May in harmony with the order which has been previonsly reported. A pig-feed-ing experiment, begun in the fall of 1896, was completed early in June, 1897, and the results have been published in Bulletin 143. The digestion feeding was continued tip to August, 1897. There were seven experiments successfully (except one) completed : Crab-grass hay alone. Peanut hull and waste. Failure, sheep would not eat the material. Crab-grass, hay and cowpea meal, for digestibility of the meal. Crab-grass hay and corn bran, for digestibility of the bran. Green rape, in June and July, first cutting. Green rape in July, second cutting. Crab-grass hay and rice bran, for digestibility of the bran. Publications during the year from this Division have been: Comfortable Low-Cost Barns, Bulletin No. 142; 18 pp. Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, etc., Bulletin No. 143; 33 PP-Crimson Clover, Bulletin No. 145; 18 pp. Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin, Bulletin No. 146; 16 pp. The correspondence for this year amounts to upward of 750 copy-book pages, and relate mainly to general farming and live stock matters. Some of this matter appears from time to time in The Bulletin. Some time has been spent at the Farmers' Institues with Com-missioner Patterson in the early part of the year, and in the spring and summer with Dr. D. Reid Parker, who was the official representative of the Board of Agriculture in the conduct of In-stitute work after his election for that purpose by the Board. In July, 1897, the Agriculturist attended the meeting of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, held in Minneapolis, Minn., representing the Station and College in that body. A partial report of some observations on that trip were made public through The Built t n for October, 1897. Early in May, 1897, a second test of stock for tuberculosis was conducted. One cow had been quarantined several months pre-viously, and there was some reason to fear the disease had been communicated to other members of the herd. xxviii N- c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. This was verified by the test, and it was agreed by the Director and Agriculturist that it would be best to slaughter every animal which reacted, the physical condition of which left no doubt of the reaction being due to the disease Tuberculosis. There were several pregnant animals reserved for tests after parturition. Dr. D. E. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Washington, D. C, was consulted by letter and requested to send an expert to us for detailed consultation and examinations. Dr. Salmon responded favorably and detailed Dr. A. D. Melvin, who came and examined a number of animals and conducted a post-mortem examination on two cows, which were the most advanced cases. Dr. Melvin advised waiting about four weeks, and then re-testing the herd, when we could decide more accurately which of the cows should be slaughtered. This was done, and six cows condemned. There were two others apparently in good health, but which had reacted. These were noted by Dr. E. E. Terry, who, with Dr. W. C. McMackin, made this test, and conducted the post-mortem examinations, to have been in gestrum when undergoing the test, which may indicate that a re-test might have cleared those heifers, but they were yielding little milk, were fat, and were worth as much for beef then as could be expected from them at any time, if not diseased, so it was decided to include these in the herd to be slaughtered, and then to put these two on the market. The post-mortem examination confirmed Dr. Terry's observation, and no disease could be found. Evidence of the disease was found in all the cows except the two heifers, and they were both " passed as good for food " by Drs. Terry and McMackin. But sale of these carcasses was forbidden by the City Board of Health officials, on the ground that they came from a diseased herd, and a city statute forbids such. All the animals were deeply buried, with free use of quicklime, and lime was scattered round over the land where the burials were made. This city ordinance should be repealed and replaced by one more consistent with the public welfare. As it stands it is im-possible that it can be reasonably enforced, and in any case like the one detailed above, where animals are rigidly examined and found to be healthy, the carcasses should be used. This would be some encouragement to owners of herds to test out disease, but if the finding of a diseased animal is to be the signal for a boy-cott of a herd, the diseased ones will not be hunted out ; or, if found, the facts will be concealed for self interest, and the public will continue blindly to take risks, which no amount of persuasion could induce if presented openly, with dairy products and meats. Thorough inspection of animals and meat is the only safeguard, TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xxix and the sooner these are recognized and honored, the sooner will the food products on the markets be what they should be—far above suspicion. To place a herd on this high ground is to make it plain by tests that no disease is harbored in it, and to keep away from it all strange cattle until quarantined and tested. Failure in this re-spect cost the Experiment Station this outbreak of tuberculosis. Since the Station herd was examined and so large a proportion found affected,* the herd at the College has been examined, and although in May, 1897, when the Station herd were examined,, this herd was believed to be intact, even more disease was found in it than existed in the Station herd. This herd has been vigor-ously tested and all diseased animals removed. The grades of low value were all slaughtered (fourteen in number), and the six pure-bred animals, five cows and one bull, quarantined in order to raise healthy calves, which can be done, and the old stock replaced by healthy young ones. During the fall and early winter some feeding experiments were conducted with cows and heifers in milk. Mr. Johnson did the testing of milk in addition to his teaching. The time of the Agriculturist during the fall term was pretty fully occupied with teaching. Stock on hand December 31, 1897: One two-year-old Shorthorn bull, two mature common cows,. two Shorthorn heifers, coming three years old, two Shorthorn bulls coming one year old, six heifers just past two years old, and all giving milk, viz.: One grade Polled Angu>?, two grade Jersey, one grade Shorthorn, one Native, one registered Jersey, three year-ling heifers, all grade Shorthorns, one yearling Jersey bull, one six-months- old grade Jersey heifer, two steers coming three years old, four calves as follows: One Jersey (pure bred), three grade Short-horns ; seven driving horses. Sheep.—Total number, 44, as follows : One Merino ram and three ewes, all registered; one Horned Dorset ram and one ewe, registered ; one Southdown ram, no ewes, registered ; one Shrop-shire ram, no ewes, registered ; three wethers, used in digestion experiments ; thirty-three native and grade ewes. During 1898 the feeding experiments have been continued. The testing of cows the latter part of 1897 led to post-mortem of one cow and one steer early in January. The heifers now in milk are to be quarantined and subjected to cattle-ticks this summer. These have also reacted, and they can be examined later for tu-berculosis, whether they have Texas fever or not. The manuscript for one Bulletin on Digestion Experiments has been finished and is ready for publication. *Six of the eight cows killed were tuberculous, as was one cow retained for a later test ; also. one steer, two bull calves and several heifer calves, which are under surveilance. XXX N- C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. There are a few field experiments under way. There are two plats with cotton, comparison of two varieties ; potato varieties : 93 varieties of potatoes are planted, using three rates of seed in nine hills of each variety. Peanuts—A trial to find if any influence on productiveness can be discovered by planting trie meats which are produced within one, two, three or four-celled pods. Other legumes.—Cowpea : Several varieties from seed grown here and one from L'lle de la Rennion, with several other inter-esting members of this family, Soy Bean and Velvet Beans. The field north of the farm building, which for several years has been in pasture, has been plowed and planted in soiling crops, which it is hoped will prove a practical experiment. The whole field is devoted to this test except the sheep-shed and yards and a plat for the potato experiment. Hemp is being gi own on a small plat. Corn will be the principal crop for the silo, whilst the cowpea and other plants must be cultivated for soiling, recuperating the soil, and for hay. The terraces now growing rye for seed, and which have a fine crop on them, will be used for forage plats when rye comes off. A very light crop of crimson clover hay has been cut and the crown of the hilltop reserved for seed. The yield is not a third of what might have been expected from the "stand" and area. This is ascribed to the exceedingly dry winter and spring. Much time has be« n consumed in teaching this year, and ex-perimental work cannot have the time and attention we have been accustomed to give, hence some experiments well under way fail of results Thus the feeding experiments with cows have been entrusted to the foreman and milker. The student milker has been found capable of doing any convenient thing which sug-gested itself at the moment, and one needs to be conversant with the facts to give any weight to his words. Therefore, since this man was entrusted with any part of the records the result is worth little or nothing, experimentally. Improvements needed are, first, and above all, a water supply for the dairy-engine and house. This, it seems, can be had from a spring on the northwest corner of the Experiment Farm. A hy-draulic ram can be employed to force up the water at less expense than for a pump and wind-mill. An underground cool room east of dairy is yery much needed for experimental use. That is, to show such a room, get at best con-struction, and to find what the advantage of the underground room is in amount of reduction of temperature. Recent additions to stock and tools are : TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xxxi i pair of draft horses and harness. i clod ci usher. i hand-power sheep-shearer. Stock on hand May ist, 1898, twenty-four cattle as follows : 1 two-year-old Shorthorn bull. 1 aged common cow. 2 two-year-old Shorthorn cows. 6 heifers, two years old and past, as in other reports. 3 heifers, one year old and past, grade, Shorthorns. 1 heifer, one year old, grade, Jersey. 3 cow calves. 1 grade Shorthorn. 2 Shorthorns. 1 grade Shorthorn bull calf. 1 yearling Shorthorn bull. 1 driving horse. 1 work horse. 1 work mare. Sheep on hand : 4 rams, Merino, Horned Dorset, Southdown, Shropshire. 3 native wethers. 4 ewes registered : One Dorset and three Merinos. 32 breeding native and grade ewes. 25 lambs. The report of the Poultry Section is given below. Very respectfully, Frank E. Emery, Agriculturist. REPORT OF POULTRY SECTION FOR 1897. Prof. F. E. Emery, Chief of Agricultural Division. During the fall of 1896 all yards of fowls were mated as pure breds, and a line of feeding experiments, with grown fowls, arti-ficial hatching and breeding against natural methods, and disease experiments, were outlined for the work of 1897, together with the incidental work as it appeared. With the burning of my home in April, 1897, a^ previous records were destroyed, which necessitated another beginning. After cor-responding with numerous poultry authorities, the following work was decided upon : Comparison of breeds for general purpose. Comparison of breeds for egg production. Comparative cost of feeding different breeds. Determining the proper feed for different breeds, amount, etc. XXxii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Artificial hatching and brooding, vs. natural methods. Cheap appliances necessary in the poultry yards. Experiments with diseases and vermin. Incidental experiments as they are presented and opportunity allows. Experiments on moulting fowls for exhibition purposes. It was thought best to begin the year about July 12th, as at that period the moulting season begins with us, i. e. in this climate. Twelve yards were then mated and monthly records kept of feed given, eggs produced, etc. With the aid furnished by you much valued information as to analysis of different feeds, etc., results have been very gratifying. The health of both old and young fowls has been remarkably good. The interest by the general public in the Poultry Section has been great, so far as I am able to judge by visitors, both from the immediate vicinity, from different portions of this State and from other States. Owing to having no experienced aid, the routine of outside work has necessitated my absence from office to such an extent that writ-ing bulletins has been out of the question. In addition to regular duties the undersigned was called upon to attend several Farmers' Institutes in various counties, to take the photographs of growing crops at Southern Pines, and to judge the Poultry Departments of serveral fairs*. The interest all through the State in better poultry and more of it is large, numerous parties adding pure breeds and discarding mongrels. The report for 1898 will contain a much greater volume of business done, as the loss of the records caused the Division to be put back one sea-son, as after that time it was too late to begin another line of spring work. During the year several new yards and houses were built, including a four brooder-house, 27 feet long, with four yards each 10 x 40 feet. The quality of the breeding stock has been much improved. Respectfully, F. E. HEGE, Poultry Manager. POULTRY SECTION FOR FIRST HALF OF 1898. During the first half year January 1st to June 30th, 1898, the principal work of the Poultry Section was done in continuation of the experiments with breeds outlined above. The feeding seemed to develop some differences among the birds in some pens which seemed rather to indicate differences of age and maturity in the same yard and for several yards. Mr. Hege has not reported on this half year, hence this note. Frank E. Emery, Agriculturist, Chief of Division of Agriculture. *Burlington, Oak Grove and Raleigh, and worked up the Asheville Poultry .Show, where 1,688 fowls were brought together from eleven States. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxiil REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL AND FERTILIZER CONTROL DIVISIONS. During the half year ending June 30, 1897, the chemical work was performed under the direction of Dr. H. B. Battle, and is as follows : ^Samples for the Southern Pines Farm. Fertilizers and fertilizing materials 8 Irish potatoes, tubers, tops, etc 45 Grape vine primings 1 45 Sweet potatoes, tubers, vines, etc <>2 Cucumbers, vines, etc S Tomatoes and vines 2 Cabbage 3 Beans 20 Strawberry vines 29 Corn and corn cobs 40 6b i Official Samples for the Fertilizer Control. Fertilizer samples 396> Samples for the Public Fertilizing materials 9 Marls. ... 4 Agricultural lime 2 Tobacco 10 Tobacco dust 1 Tobacco stems 1 Miscellaneous fertilizers 7 Health waters 22 Mineral waters 16 Boiler water 1 Mill sweepings 1 Peanut meal 1 Rock 2 Ores, minerals and rocks identified and values reported 48 -— 125 Total for the half year ending June 30, 1897 878 During the year ending June 30, 1898, the following analyses were completed : Experimental Samples. For association of official chemists phosphoric samples 7 For the association of official agricultural chemists nitrogen samples . . 3 Fodders and feeding stuffs 34 Health waters . 26 Tobacco leaves 1 Irish potatoes 23 Commercial fertilizers and fertilizing material 13 Sugar J —(54 171 Official Fertilizer Samples. • Acid phosphates. 139 Acid phosphate with potash 52 Ammoniated superphosphates 325 Miscellaneous ' 39 553: *A large part of the Southern Pines work was done during the summer and fall of 1S96, but the analyses were not completed until after January 1st, 1897. XXxiv N - c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Samples for the Public. Health waters .' 109 Mineral waters 37 Phosphatic lime 1 Lime 1 Cotton-seed meal 3 Commercial fertilizers 10 Marl 10 Ashes 1 Deposit from pump 1 Fire clay '. 2 Brick clay 4 Boiler scale 1 Worm dust 1 Cider 1 Bran 1 Fish scrap 1 Identifications of minerals, ores, etc , 271 Total for the year ending June 30, 1898 '. . 995 The principle lines of work of this Division are as follows : The Southern Pines Work.—This consists of the analysis of the fertilizing materials used on the Experiment Farm, together with analysis of the various products of the farm, with a view . to ascer-tain the exact amount of fertilizers added to the different crops, the amount removed by them and the effects of the various fertilizers. Digestion Experiments.—This work is carried on in conjunction with the Agricultural Division. This series of experiments was begun some years ago by the Chemical Division, through Mr, Kil-gore, former Assistant Chemist, and the Agriculturist, Professor Emery. Health Analysis of Waters.—This Division has instituted, and is now carrying on some experiments with a view to ascertaining some of the of the sources of error in the health analysis of water. .Experiments with Sugar Beets.—During the spring of 1898, at the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, communicated through the Chemist of the Department, the Experiment Station distributed a large quantity of sugar-beet seeds, with a view to ascertain if the conditions in the State were favorable to the growth of the beet. In addition to the seeds received through the Secretary, a large quantity was received from the German Kali Works. Previous experiments have been made by the Station along this line. Work for the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.— This Division has co-operated each year with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, in making the analysis of some of the samples sent out by the referees, with a view to testing meth-ods and improvements suggested. Mr. Kilgore, previously an as-sistant in this Division, proposed a method for the volume estima-tion of phosphoric acid. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. XXXV Extent of Food Adulteration.—The General Assembly of 1895 enacted a law making the adulteration or misbranding of articles of food a misdemeanor, and prescribed a penalty for the sune, but no one was charged with the duty of executing the law. This Di-vision has undertaken an investigation as to the extent to which adulteration is practiced with some of the more common articles of food, such as sugar, coffee, tea, flour, baking-powders and vinegar. The samples were purchased in the open market. Analyses for the Fertilizer Control.—There is an increasing number of brands of fertilizer registered for sale in North Carolina each year and in consequence there is an increasing demand upon this Division. During the past year and a half analyses were made of 949 samples, taken under the direction of the Commis-sioner of Agriculture by the official inspectors from lots on sale in the State. Analyses of some of the samples were made in dupli-cate. This Division realizes the importance of this work to the farmers of the State and endeavors to complete the analyses with as great rapidity, and accuracy as care will permit. Analyses for the Public.—No appropriation is made by the State providing for analyses by this Station of samples for the public. The Station is very glad, however, to do this work as a matter of courtesy, where it does not intefere with the regular work of the Station, where it is of an agricultural character, where the Station's directions are followed in regard to the sending the samples, and where the Station is free to publish the results. During the past year and a half, analyses were made of 366 samples for the public, 131 being drinking waters, with a view to ascertaining if they were suitable for drinking purposes. The remaining samples con-sist of fertilizer materials and other miscellaneous samples. Very respectfully, W. A. Withers, Chemist. REPORT OF THE DIVISIONS OF HORTICULTURE, BOTANY AND ENTOMOLOGY. Prof. W. A. Withers, Acting Director. I herewith present the report for these Divisions of the Station for the past year and a half. Horticulture. The Horticultural work of the Station has mainly been carried on at Southern Pines, in connection with the Committee in charge of the experimental work done in connection with the State Horti-cultural Society and the German Kali Works. The practical su-pervision of the work for this Committee* has been placed in the hands of Mr. Rhodes and myself, by the action of the Committee, xxxvi N - c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. and the sub-position of Horticulturist to this Committee has been assigned to me. Heretofore this work has fallen to me simply as ex-officio to my duties as Station Horticulturist, and has been re-garded as the Horticultural department of the Station, as experi-mental work at Raleigh was necessarily abandoned to a great extent by the removal of Mr. Rhodes, my personal assistant, to Southern Pines, and his appointment as Resident Superintendent for the Committee. With my assistant at Southern Pines, it was neces-sary that all of the Horticultural work should be concentrated there. Hence, for the purposes of this work, outside the work for the Supervising Committee, it was necessary that land should be provided for my purposes as Station Horticulturist alone. This was accomplished by the former Director leasing another piece of land adjoining that of the Committee, to be under the sole man-agement of the Station Horticulturist for experimental work in general. On this land I have begun, in connection with the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture at Washing-ton, a series of experiments in the growth of forest trees from seed collected in the various states entering into the experiment. The object of these experiments is to determine the differences in the same species of trees from seeds collected in different latitudes and climates. Seeds of the same species are sent to us which are col-lected in states from Iowa and Nebraska to Florida, a ad the same seeds are collected here and sent to the other States engaged in the work. The scheme has not been fully carried out by reason of the difficulty in getting seeds of all the the trees every year in all the States. Failure of the seed crop here resulted in no seeds being collected in North Carolina last year. I have, however, received seed from several states, and the plants grown a year ago from the various seed samples have been transplanted and studied. It is proposed to carry on this work for a number of years. Bulb Culture.—There has been, for some years past, a growing interest in the capacity of our soil and climate for the production of the various bulbs used so extensively by our florists in the forc-ing of winter flowers. Experiments which I have been conduct-ing for several years have demonstrated that we can produce here, to great perfection, many bulbs that are now imported from Europe. Few people who are not familiar with the trade in these things,, realize its magnitude, and the enormous amount of money sent abroad annually for their purchase, most of which might be kept at home with profit to our growers. The fine quality of the bulbs I have shown in New York attracted the attention of the importers and dealers in these things, and all of them declare that they had rather come to North Carolina for their supplies than go to France, Holland and Italy for them. Additional attention has lately been drawn to this matter by the failure of the lily crop of a certain kind grown in Bermuda and Japan, from a serious disease which TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxvii renders the bulbs worthless for forcing. The Department at Wash-ington lately sent a special agent, Mr. M. G. Kains, to confer with me, and to visit the section of the State where other bulbs have been grown, so that a report on the subject could be made up and published. The point to be decided is whether we can, in this climate, ripen the Bermuda lily early enough for the early forcing in autumn, and whether we can succeed in growing the bulbs clear of the disease. I have commenced to experiment with this lily and hope to continue it, with the aid of bulbs sent by the Depart-ment, and have some confidence in a favorable result, as the bulbs already grown seem to be more healthy, and to ripen early enough. With another lily, the Lilium Candidum, which is also used largely for Easter forcing, we have demonstrated that we can produce them much superior to those imported from France, and there has been no difficulty in selling at a remunerative price all that we have grown in a small way, and the demand for these is such that we could, this season, have sold a million if we had had them, as the dealers North are competing with each other for our L/ilium Can-didum bulbs. The chief difficulty here in the way of the develop-ment of the bulb industry, aside from a lack of experience and skill, is the lack of means among the growers. Most of these bulbs are different from the tuberose, which has been so largely grown in the eastern section of the State, in the fact that it takes from three to five years to get a marketable crop, and the first investment for stock does not give any return until the product is made. Hence inexperienced men hesitate to invest. Of course, after the business is well under way, there would be an annual crop, but at first there must be a considerable outlay for stock and a period of waiting for results, with constant expenditure for labor and caring for the product. In the culture of the tuberose, the growers plant the sets in the spring and harvest the crop the same autumn, but this can-not be done with lilies and hyacinths. If it can be once demon-strated that there is a large profit in growing bulbs on a commer-cial scale, and men who understand the work are gotten through the State, the dealers in the Northern cities will be ready to fur-nish the stock and wait for returns. But they need be assured that the returns will be at hand, and hence the necessity for skilled men. I would gladly go among the growers and instruct them in the management of the bulbs, if means are at hand for the purpose and the work is undertaken on a scale to warrant it. I have never yet had means enough at my disposal or land for the purpose, to fully test the matter on a commercial scale. It is evident that the soil at Raleigh is better suited to these things than that at South-ern Pines, and the work hereafter will be done here. Melons.—I regret that the experiment with a great variety of melons sent by the Department at Washington, proved a total fail-ure at Southern Pines, owing to the peculiarity of the season, which XXXVlii N- c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. at first was so dry that in that sandy soil many died outright and the remainder were damaged by the heavy scalding rains that suc-ceeded the drought after the fruit had formed. As these seeds were collected in a new region of Central Asia, we were in hopes of getting some of value from the lot. If seed can be had again the experiment will be repeated at Raleigh under more favorable con-ditions. Co-operative Work at Southern Pines.—The extensive series of experiments inaugurated by the committee at Southern Pines have been conducted with zeal and fidelity by my assistant, Mr. Rhodes, who by training and experience is well fitted for the work But as this work will be specially reported on by the Committee, there is no need for further notice of it here. Forcing of Vegetables.—During the two winters past we have experimented to some extent in the culture of tomatoes, under glass, as a winter crop. Enough has been shown by these experiments to prove that the forcing of vegetables under glass, in heated glass structures, can be made more profitable here than in the North, where it is being so largely and profitably practiced. Our abounding sun-shine even, in our coldest winter weather, gives us a great advan-tage, and the smaller consumption of coal should give a wider margin of profit here than in the North. 1 have in preparation a bulletin on the use of glass in market-gardening, which I hope to have out shortly. There has been of late a great deal of interest mani-fested in the winter crop of lettuce grown for the Northern mar-kets in the eastern part of the State. Most of the growers still use for this crop frames covered with cotton cloth, which is at best a poor substitute for glass. I have tried to convince them that glass is far better and in the long run cheaper than cloth, and there is a disposition to try the glass. When they once begin to use glass and become skillful in its handling, the transition from a cold frame covered with glass sashes to a heated green-house is easy, and the future success of market gardening in Eastern North Carolina depends largely on the use of glass, just as the competition of the far South has compelled the northern growers to make a greater use of glass, and thus to furnish bet-ter products and sell them at better rates than the products from the open ground in Florida. I have sold tomatoes here in direct competition with those from Florida for double the price of the Florida product, by reason of the superior quality of those grown under glass. Botanical. During the coming summer the Herbarium of the Station will be enriched by a collection of native plants both from the section around Raleigh and from the mountain section of the State, TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxix where my Assistant, Mr. C. W. Hyams, will spend his vacation in making collections. He has been getting together a very large collection of fungi, both edible and poisonous, which it is proposed to exhibit permanently in preservative fluids. These collections will be o^ great use in the identification of specimens sent to us, and for exchange with other collections, so that from the duplicate plants collected we can enrich the Herbarium with the species of other states by exchange with collectors. Mr. Hyams has air o prepared and published a bulletin containing a list of the plants that have been collected and sold in this state for medicinal purposes, and this has been highly commended. We have during the year made numerous identifications of plants and grasses from correspondents in all parts of the State, and there seems to be a greater interest in the native grasses, many of which can be cultivated with profi . The Velvet Bean, which has been much talked about as a forage plant in the far South, has been tested here, and it seems evident that it will succeed here, and in a favorable st a^on wi 1 ripen a fair crop if planted not later than the 1 ist of April. Whether it will compete here with the cowpea as a forage plant seems doub'ful, as it takes too long a season, and cannot be used as the cowpea can for sowing after a small grain crop has b en harvested. But from the mass of foliage it makes on poor land, it is evident that it will be of use 'as a means of getting vegetable matter into a worn soil. Entomological. At the meeting of the Board of Trustees last summer, they saw fit to assign to me the work formerly done by the Entomologist. This work included the work of inspection of nurseries for the Commission for Controlling Crop Pests established under the law enacted for the suppression of the San Jose scale and other danger-ous insect pests. I attempted to do this work in the fall of 1897, but finding it required my being absent from Station and College work too long, I wras obliged to give up this part of the work. As it was, I spent over two months at it, without any extra pay, though the Entomologist had formerly been paid a salary of $1,500 per annum for the Entomological work alone. The great interest that has been excited over the spread of the San Jose scale has caused people throughout the state to look more closely ?iter their trees, and I have had numerous letters with specimens for identification, all of which have been answered. A scale insect more widely scat-tered in the state than the San Jose scale, and while less rapid in the destruction it causes, is equally certain to destroy trees, is the Mytilaspis Pomorum—the apple tree bark louse. This insect I found prevailing to an alarming extent in all the best apple sec-tions of the state in the upper Piedmont and mountains beyond. x] N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. the Blue Ridge. The hard scale which invests this insect renders its destruction by spraying difficult, and the only time when it can be killed by spraying to any advantage is when the young insects are coming out in spring. This scale will cause serious losses in Western North Carolina if not checked. The San Jose scale is al-most entirely confined to the Eastern part of the State, and is most prevalent about Southern Pines, Tarboro and a few other points in smaller numbers. ' The gloomy scale was found very abundant on soft maple trees at Durham, but it seems to have succumbed to the fungus disease introduced from Florida, and the trees when last seen were clear of live insects. Iyecanium Persicum was found on one orchard of plums at Southern Pines. This is one of the soft scales, and is more readily subdued by whale-oil soap spraying than some of the other scales. In certain cases the spraying with pure kerosene has been found efficient for the destruction of the San Jose scale, but in other instances the spraying has killed the trees. While a spraying that amounts to a mere, but complete, atomizing may not kill the tree, it is evident that careless work and the use of an overquantity of the oil will do serious harm, and while not always killing, may check the growth and the perfection of the fruit for the season. The old gardners' remedy for all scale insects has long been the solution of whale-oil soap, and it is probable among all the spraying materials recommended there is still none better than this. The use of Hydrocyanic gas is too troublesome, dangerous and expensive for general use, and is more applicable to trees dug and housed for shipment than to those in the open ground. It seems probable that while a strict application of the law prevent-ing infested stock from coming into the state may keep more in-fection out, the fruit-growers of the state have to make up their minds to keep a constant war against all sorts of insects, and the San Jose scale can be held in check. More is to be hoped for from the spread of the fungus disease, which has so reduced the scale in Florida, and which has been shown to thrive here, than from any spraying by individuals while the neighborhood remains infected. Perpetual vigilance is really the price of fruit in the future, and the advent of the San Jose scale only adds another to the forms we have to fight. All of which is respectfully submitted. W. F. Massey, HortiGtilhiTist^ Botanist and Entomologist. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xli North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in account with The United States Appropriation. 1897. ' Dr. To receipts from the Treasurer of the United States as per appropriation for fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, as per Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887 $15,000 00 Cr. June 30. By salaries $5,255 13 labor 1,411 00 publications 2,751 10 postage and stationery 759 60 freight and express 389 38 heat, light and water 374 16 chemical supplies 501 23 seeds, plants and sundry supplies 546 49 fertilizers 20 35 feeding-stuffs 826 97 library > • • • • 188 33 tools, implements and machinery 203 05 furniture and fixtures 139 28 scientific apparatus 286 70 live stock 32 30 traveling expenses .... 383 83 contingent expenses 231 10 building and repairs 700 00 Total $15,000 00 1, the undersigned, duly appointed Auditor of the corporation, do hereby certify that I ha.ve examined the books and accounts of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1897 ; that I have found the same well kept and classified as above, and that the receipts for the year from the Treasurer of the United States are shown to have been $15,000, and the corre-sponding disbursements $15,000 ; for all of which proper vouchers are on file and have been by me examined and found correct. And I further certify that the expenditures have been solely for the purposes set forth in the Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. (Signed) T. K. BrunER, Auditor* xlii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in account with The United States Appropriation. 1898. Dr. To receipts from the Treasurer of the United States as per appropriation for fiscal year, ending June 30, 1898, as per Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. $15,000 00 Cr. June 30. By salaries $9,039 96 labor. ..;... 1,151 11 publications 1,427 61 postage and stationer}T 669 63 freight and express 161 40 heat, light and water 6 00 chemical supplies 379 86 seeds, plants and sundry supplies 93 72 fertilizers. 7 44 feeding stuffs 1,028 17 library 145 49 tools, implements and machinery 130 66 furniture and fixtures 89 92 scientific apparatus 5 63 live stock 486 45 traveling expenses 118 90 contingent expenses building and repairs 58 05 Total • $15,000 00 I, the undersigned, duly appointed Auditor of the corporation, do hereby certify that I have examined the books and accounts of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898 ; that I have found the same well kept and classified as above, and that the receipts for the year from the Treasurer of the United States are shown to have been $15,000, and the correspond-ing disbursements $15,000 ; for all of which proper vouchers are on file and have been by me examined and found correct. And I further certify that the expenditures have been solety for the purposes set forth in the Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. (Signed) J. R. Chamberlain, Auditor. RECENT BULLETINS. The following are some of the recent Bulletins of the Experi-ment Station : No. 70 No. 71 No. 72 No. 73 No. 75 No. 77 No. 78 No. 79 No. 80 No. 8 1 No. 82 No. 83 No. 84 No. 85 No. 86 No. 87 No. 88 No. 89 No. 90 No. 91 No. 93 No. 94 No. 95 No. 96 No. 97 No. 98 No. 99 No. 100. No. 101 No. 102, No 103. No. 104. No 105' No. 106 No. 107 No. 108 No. 109 No. no No. in No. 112 No. 113 No. 114 No. 115 No. 116 No. 117 No. 118 No. 119 No. 120 NO. 121 No. 122 No. 123 Weed Pests of the Farm ; Japan clover, cuts n, pp. 28. Co-operative Field Tests During 1889 ; Hill-side Ditches, cut 1, pp. 32. Work in Horticulture ; Pea- vine Manuring, pp. 16. The best Agricultural Grasses ; plates 74, pp. 100. Fertilizer Analyses; season of 1891, pp. 16. Value of Pea-vine Manuring for Wheat, plate 1, pp. 8. Some Injurious Insects, plates 37 pp. 32. Facts for Farmers, in Plain Language for Farmers' Reading, pp. 24. Silos and Ensilage, pp. 17. Feeding Cotton-seed Hulls and Meal for the Production of Beef, pp. 28. Fertilizer analyses and ihe Fertilizer Control for 1891, pp. 20. Growing Celery in the South ; Cultivatioti of Onions; Notes of Horticul-tural Work During 1891, cuts 2. pp. 20. Some Enemies of Truck and Garden Crops, cuts 32, pp. 26. The Late Crop ot Irish Potatoes in the South, pp. 10. Tobacco Curing by the Leaf Cure on Wire, and the Stalk Processes, pp. 32. All Publications of the Station, from March, 1877, to September, 1892, pp. 20. Fertilizer Analyses and the Fertilizer Control During 1892, pp. 24. Co-operative Field Tests During 1891 and 1892, pp 48. Practical Stock Feeding, pp. 32. Some Experiments in Wheat Culture, pp. 20. Feeding Experiments, pp. 48. Horticultural Tests and Results with Vegetables, Fruits and Bulb Cul-ture, pp. 20. The Fertilizer Control During 1893, PP- 3 2 - Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, Cats 19, pp. 32. Digestion Experiments, Fig. 1. pp 48. Some Leguminous Crops and Their Economic Value, cuts 9, pp. 40. Thread Worm of Pork (Trichina Spiralis), cuts 9, pp. 8. Our Common Insects, cuts 65, pp. 36. The Progress of the Dairy Industry in North Carolina, pp. 8. Encouragement to the Dairy Industry, pp. 12. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, pp. 24. Why Pull Your Corn Fodder? pp 4. The Chestnut and its Weevil : Nut Culture, pp. 1 2. Rational Stock Feeding, pp. 44. Prop gation o£ Flowering Bulbs in North Carolina, plates 24, pp. 24. Seed Testing ; Its Uses and Methods, pp 64. Feeding Trials With Animals, pp. 34 Marls and Phosphate* of North Carolina, pp. 50. The Fertilizer Control During 1894, pp. 26. Trucking in the South, pp. 70. The Testing of Milk, cuts 4, pp. 32. Tests of Dairy Implements and Practices, cuts 4, pp. 32. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, pp. 20. Milk Records and Tests, pp. 16. Tuberculosis and Its Prevention, pp. 20. Cotton Seed Hulls for Beef Production, 4 pages. Volumetic Estimation of Phosphoric Acid, 21 pages. Cultivation of the Peach Tree, 42 cuts, 31 pages. Hillside Terraces or Ditches, 8 cuts, 5 pages. Types of Tobacco and their Analyses. (Technical. ) 35 pages. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, 10 pages. xliy N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. No. 125. Forage Grasses and Hay Making, 44 cuts, 49 pages, No. 126. Why not Improve your Poultry? 5 pages. No. 128. Pests of Grain Crops. — No. 129. Horticultural Experiments at Southern Pines, 1895, PP- 4-6- No. 130. Poultry Keeping for Profit, 39 cuts, 53 pages. No. 131. Parasites of Poultry, 13 cuts, 11 pages. No. 132. The Home Vegetable Garden and its Pests, 8 cuts, 54 pages. No. 133. Some New Forage Fibre and Other Useful Plants, 2 pages. No. 136. Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control, 34 pages. No. 137. A warning in Regard to Compost Peddlers, 8 pages. No. 138. San Jose Scale in N. C, 1 cut, 14 pages. No. 139. Home-mixed Fertilizers and Composts, 16 pages. No. 140. Volumetric Estimation of Phosphoric Acid, (Technical) 8 pages. No. 141. A New Tobacco Pest, 2 cuts, 8 pages. No. 142. Comfortable Low Cost Barns, 12 cuts, 20 pages. . No. 143. Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, etc., pp. 36. No. 144. Ornithology of North Carolina, pp. 36 No. 145. Crimson Clover, pp. 20. No. 146. Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin, pp. 16. No. 147. A Study of Lettuces, pp. 8. No. 148. Digestion Experiments, po. 32. No. 149. The Apple in North Carolina, pp. 22. No. 150. Medicinal Plants of North Carolina, pp. 84. No. 151. The Fertilizer Control for 1897, pp. 12. Any of the above will be sent cheerfully upon application by Postal Card to the Ditector of the N. C. Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, N. C. Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control INCLUDING OFFICIAL ANALYSES OF SPRING AND FALL SAMPLES OF 1896 ISSUED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION RALEIGH, N. C. Bulletin No- 136 January 12, 1897 462 Publications will be sent to any address in North Carolina upon application. N. C. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS. the idtoirtih: o^rolihst-a. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AND THE FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE N. C. STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. W. F. Green, Chairman, Franklinton. W. S. Primrose Raleigh. D. A. Tompkins Charlotte. H. E. Fries Salem. N. B. Broughton Raleigh. R. W. Wharton Washington. J. B. Coffield Everett's W. R. Capeheart Avoca. J. H. Gilmer Greensbero. J. R. McLelland... Mooresville. Cyrus Thompson Richlands. H. E. King Peanut. E. A. Aiken ._ Jeptha. J. L. Nelson. Lenoir. Frank Wood Edenton. STAFF OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION. H. B. Battle, Ph. D Director and State Chemist. F. E. Emery, M. S Agriculturist. Gerald McCarthy, B. So Botanist and Entomologist. W. F. Massey, C. E _ Horticulturist. F. E. Hege Poultry Manager. Consulting Veterinarian. * B. W. Kilgore, M. S Assistant Chemist. W. M. Allen ...Assistant Chemist. H. K. Miller, M. S Assistant Chemist. S. E. Asbury, B. S Assistant Chemist. Alexander Rhodes Assistant Horticulturist. A. F. Bowen Secretary. RALEIGH, N. C 2 FERTILIZER ANALYSES OF THE FERTILIZER CONTROL INCLUDING OFFICIAL ANALYSES OF SPRING AND FALL SAMPLES OF 1896. By H. B. BATTLE, Director. As has has been frequently stated, the work of the Station lies under two heads : 1. The Agricultural Experiment Station. 2. The Fertilizer Control Station. THE FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION. The present bulletin is issued in the interest of the latter, and pre-sents to the people of the State the analyses of samples of fertili-zers taken both in the spring and fall seasons of 1896. It is issued before the opening of the spring season of 1897, in order to give the relative standing of all brands of fertilizers sold in the State, so far as they have been found and sampled. This bulletin is published before the movement in fertilizers has begun for 1897, with a view of affording to purchasers means of judging of the standing of any given brand during the past season. Analyses'for 1897. As is known, the samples of fertilizers are taken by the official inspectors from fertilizers after they have been sent into the State, and are out of the hands of the manufacturers and in the hands of local dealers. These samples, therefore, repre-sent exactly what the purchasers are getting. Samples are taken throughout the season by the different inspectors in various por-tions of the State. Analyses are made very promptly upon receipt of samples from inspectors, and prepared for publication with the least possible delay. As in past years, they will be printed every two weeks during the fertilizer season of i897. These bi-weekly bulletins are sent only to those who request them, but one applica-tion only is required for the entire season. The present Fertilizer Laws. The following carefully prepared digest shows accurately, in small compass, the existing laws in regard to fertilizers. It is intended to give information in regard to the fertilizer trade which should be known by purchasers, dealers, and the public generally. 4 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. No manipulated guanos, superphosphates, commercial fertilizers or other fer-tilizing material shall be sold or offered for sale unless a tonnage charge of twenty-five cents per ton has been paid. Each barrel, package or bag shall have attached a tag representing this fact, which tag shall be issued by the Commis-sioner of Agriculture according to regulations prescribed by the Department of Agriculture . The Department of Agriculture has power at all times to have samples collected of any fertilizer or fertilizing material on sale, which must be taken from at least ten per cent of the lot selected. These samples are taken from the goods in the hands of dealers after they are shipped from the manu-factories, and accordingly represent the true grade of fertilizers offered for sale. Every package of fertilizer offered for sale must have thereon a plainly printed label, a copy of which must be filed with the Commissioner of Agriculture, together with a true sample of the fertilizer which it is proposed to sell, at or before the shipment of such fertilizer into the State, and which label must be uniformly used and not changed during the year. This label must set forth the name, location and trade-mark of the manufacturer ; also the chemical compo-sition of contents and real percentage of the ordinary ingredients claimed to be present, together with date of analyzation, and that all charges have been paid. There must be no variation in the guaranteed percentages, but the bags must be branded with the exact chemical composition of the contents No fertilizer can be sold with a content less than eight per cent of available phosphoric acid, two per cent ammonia, and one per cent, of potash. Cotton-seed meal is ex-empted from paying the tonnage charge ; also land plaster, agricultural lime, oyster-shell lime, marl, and bulk materials for manufacturing purposes, upon which a tonnage charge is to be paid thereafter. It is a misdemeanor, and a fine of ten dollars for each bag, for an agent or dealer to offer for sale any such fertilizer or fertilizing materials not properly tagged, or a consumer to remove it, or a railroad agent to deliver it Any fer-tilizer or fertilizing material that does not contain the ingredients as represented by the label is liable to seizure, and, after being established on trial, its value is recovered by the Board of Agriculture Any person who offers for sale fertili-zers or fertilizing material without having attached thereto labels as provided by law, is liable to a fine of ten dollars for each separate package—one-half, less the cost, going to the party suing, and the remainder to the Department ; and if such fertilizer is condemned, the Department makes analyses of the same and has printed labels placed on each package, giving the true chemical ingredients of the same, and fixes the commercial value at which it may be sold. The De-partment of Agriculture can require agents of railroads and steamboat compa-nies to furnish monthly statements of the quantity of fertilizers transported by them. The Experiment Station analyzes samples of fertilizers taken by the offi-cial inspectors, and publishes the same whenever needful. WHEN ANALYSES OF FERTILIZERS ARE MADE FOR FARMERS. The Station does not analyze samples of fertilizers for manufac-turers or dealers. It discontinued the practice some years ago, tak-ing this action for several reasons. When the fertilizer manufac-turing industry was in its infancy in North Carolina, the Station aided them in every laudable way by advice as to formulas, ingre-dients suitable for mixing, and by making analyses of materials for them. Now the industry has so grown that sufficient knowledge and facilities are at hand to render it unnecessary to continue the assistance formerly so freely given. Another reason why this has been withdrawn is that it was found that there was a tendency to abuse the privilege, and occasionally samples were sent to the Sta-tion and analyzed that did not truly represent the materials sold. In this particular case, use was made of the Station's analysis in what might have been an unlawful purpose. THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 5 Analyses are still made for farmers, to aid them in preventing fraud in their purchases of fertilizers; and this applies also to fer-tilizing ingredients, such as kainit, cotton seed meal, chemicals, and the like. These analyses are made upon the following conditions: 1. That the article to be sampled has regularly paid the tonnage charges for inspection. This charge is extremely small in itself, and was instituted for the protection of farmers and uthers purchasing these materials, and enables the fertilizer inspection and control to be sustained. Millions of dollars have been saved over and over again by reason of the operations of this control and the continual careful oversight of the fertilizer trade. This protection cannot be extended to fertilizers that have not the requisite tags attached to the bags. It is unlawful for dealers to sell bags or any packages of fertilizers not properly tagged, as well as for shipping agents to deliver and consumers to remove them. Such being the case, the very fact that these materials are not tagged would indicate that they were unlawfully on the market, and farmers are advised to refuse to deal in such materials. 2. There must be some special reason for thinking the grade below the guarantee. This requirement is necessary, as otherwise the Sta-tion would receive so many samples that the analyses of the official samples might be very greatly retarded thereby if all analyses were attempted at the time they were received. The official inspectors are constantly travelling over the State during the fertilizer seasons and they draw samples wherever fertilizers are found. It is prefer-able that the samples should be drawn by them in the usual opera-tions of the fertilizer control, for they have better facilities and are more thoroughly acquainted with the proper manner of taking them. On account of their official character, analyses of such sam-ples are of far more importance in disputed cases than a sample from a private party. The Station prefers, therefore, that samples should always come through the official inspectors. Nevertheless, where there is some special reason for doubting the purity of a lot of fertilizers, it will make an analysis of a sample if all of the con-ditions that are named have been observed. 3. The sample must be taken according to forms prescribed by the Station, which can be obtained upon application. This is nec-essary in order to procure as fair and average a sample as is possi-ble. It can be easily seen that upon the sample depends entirely the value of the analysis. If it is taken carelessly it may not repre-sent the materials on sale, and the analysis may be entirely worth-less on account of that fact. After the sample is received the Station can have no means of ascertaining by an examination of it whether it has been accurately taken or not. It must, therefore, rely for their accuracy solely on the instructions it gives in advance for drawing these samples. In order to be positive as to the sample none should be sent coming from a manufacturer or dealer. It should always be drawn under the personal supervision of the sender. The sampling in every case must be witnessed and signed by two witnesses, stating 6 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. that all the instructions have been complied with and a fair average sample has been secured, representing in their opinion the lot in question. If it is desired by the sender, the name of the brand and manufacturer, with the guaranteed percentages, may be retained until after the analysis is received by him, but in every case these must be returned to the Station for completion of the records con-cerning the sample. As a rule there must be at least three tons in the lot to be sampled, though in special cases exceptions are made. The Necessity for Accurate Sampling. Owing to the nature of the ingredients composing a fertilizer, it often happens that these ingredients do not remain thoroughly mixed. This is caused by the transportation and handling of the bag, whereby the fine and heavy particles (generally of phosphate) separate from the lighter and more bulky portions of organic mate-rials furnishing nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash, such as cotton-seed meal and tobacco stems. The heavy particles, which are at the same time finer, have the tendency to settle towards the bottom, thereby leaving the coarse organic materials at the top. If now a sample be taken from the top of the bag only it will show by anal-ysis a higher percentage of the nitrogen or potash than would be the case if the whole contents were carefully mixed before the sam-ple was taken. The analysis will also show a lower percentage of phosphoric acid than should be, because a portion of the fine phos-phate has already settled towards the bottom, and is not reached in the sampling. The official inspectors obviate this difficulty by the use of a long, hollow steel sampling tube, which is thrust in from side to side or end to end of the bag. It is then withdrawn, bring-ing out a core of the contents of the bag in the same position as occurring inside. The instructions for sampling, as given by the Station, suggests a plan for securing an average sample without the use of this sampling-tube. THE NEED OF FERTILIZER ANALYSES, AND AN EXPLANA-TION OF TERMS USED. The analysis of a fertilizer is made to determine the quantity of each valuable constituent present. No one, by looking at a fertili-zer, can tell its grade, and whether the constituents claimed by the manufacturers are really present. This must be done by a careful chemical examination, and this can only be accomplished by com-petent experts. Anterior to 1877, before the establishment of the Fertilizer Control, there being no restraint upon manufacturers, many fertilizers were of little value, and farmers were losing enor-mous sums annually, with no opportunity of ascertaining the real character of the goods they were buying. The result in the field was oftentimes disastrous, and the planter lost not only the actual amount paid for the fertilizer, but also the prospective yield in his THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 7 crop. Now this is changed. By the operations of the Fertilizer Control there is no opportunity for the lowest grades of fertilizers to be brought into the State, unless fraudulently. All brands pro-posed to be put on sale have to be first registered with the actual guaranteed percentages before they can be lawfully sold. Low grade fertilizers are excluded by law. Samples are taken of the goods after they are put on the market, analyzed and published broadcast. If the grade is found to fall materially below the guar-antee, it is subject to seizure and condemnation. Whenever the grade is deficient, but not materially so to cause condemnation, the analysis is printed so that the public may be warned in the future. Terms Used in an Analysis. All figures given in the tables, except the value per ton, are stated in per cents or parts per 100. There are three special constituents which, when present, give a fertilizer its value. These are phos-phoric acid, nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash. The valuable chemical elements in these constituents are phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium respectively. These constituents are never present as such, but always combined with other compounds, which combi-nation is necessary for their existence in the fertilizer. In fact, these terms so often seen, phosphoric acid, nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash, refer to chemical compounds which do not exist as such, and are only used as a convenient method of referring to the ingredients present in a fertilizer and their amounts. Phosphoric Acid. In what combinations these three ingredients above stated occur, depend entirely upon the materials used. If the phosphoric acid is derived from the phosphates of fossil origin (South Carolina rock, etc.), as is most often the case, the phosphorus present in them is combined with lime in the form of tri-calcium phosphate, or three parts of lime in combination with phosphoric acid. As this is very insoluble in the soil and is not readily taken up by plants, it is treated with sulphuric acid to render it more sol-uble and available. After this treatment the phosphate contains only one part of lime and more phosphoric acid than before. It is possible for some of the soluble phosphate so made to slowly change back to the original form, but before reaching it an intermediate form may result with more lime than the soluble. This intermedi-ate form is called the reverted phosphate, and the quantity present is estimated as so much reverted phosphoric acid. In the laboratory estimation, the soluble phosphoric acid is all that is soluble in pure cold water ; the reverted pbosphoric acid is that soluble in a solution of ammonium citrate, according to a standard method of analysis, but insoluble in water ; and, lastly, the insoluble phosphoric acid is that which is insoluble both in water as well as in the citrate solu-tion. The total phosphoric acid present in a fertilizer or fertilizing in-gredient is consequently made up of three forms : (1) soluble phos- 8 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. phoric acid, (2) reverted phosphoric acid, and (3) insoluble phospho-ric acid. The last form is not considered as available to the plants as are the other two forms. The first two forms combined are often spoken of as available phosphoric acid, and is not a distinct form of phosphoric acid, but is only the collective name of the reverted and soluble forms taken together. The available phosphoric acid is con-sequently the sum of the soluble and the reverted, or is the differ-ence between the insoluble and the total phosphoric acid. The available phosphoric acid is now valued at 4 cents per pound, ac-cording to the plan explained further on. Equal values are there given to the soluble and reverted forms. It is likely that the Sta-tion may separate these forms in the near future and accord to the reverted a lower valuation than to the soluble phosphoric acid. The insoluble phosphoric acid is not valued, except in the case of pure bone meal, when a valuation of 3 cents per pound is given to it. This will probably be changed to embrace a range of values accord-ing to the fineness of the meal. Nitrogen (or Ammonia). Nitrogen should always be used to repre-sent compounds of this character. Ammonia is somewhat mislead-ing, for in many cases of organic materials ammonia is not present at all, but nitrogen is present in the form of nitrogenous matters and would be a better basis of value. Ammonia, however, has be-come to be used so exclusively by the trade to represent these mate-rials that the term cannot now well be dropped. Consequently both nitrogen and ammonia are given. The former is converted to ammonia by multiplying by 1.214. Onlv nitrogen (ammonia) from the well recognized legitimate sources is valued. Others which are considered as adulterations are not valued. The value given to the former is now 12 cents per pound. Potash. This constituent does not exist as such, but combined as sulphate, muriate (chloride), carbonate, nitrate, or in organic combi-nation. The potash estimated is that soluble in pure cold water and is valued at 5 cents per pound. Water. The quantity of moisture present is estimated as a mat-ter of interest to give an indication of the property of the fertili-zer, whether dry or wet. It is not used in estimating the commer-cial value. Guaranteed Percentages. The percentages guaranteed by the manufacturer are given side by side with the percentages of the various constituents as found by analysis. This facilitates compar-ison. The commercial value as determined by these guarantees, and the same valuation of constituents as are applied in the analysis, are given in the tables side by side with the commercial value as determined by the analysis. Mechanical Condition. As a fertilizer in a fine state of subdivision is of more value than a coarse one, because it is more available to the plants in the soil, the mechanical condition of each fertilizer, as it is received from the inspector, is stated. In the same way a dry fertilizer is more easily handled and distributed than a damp or THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 9 moist one, and is consequently of greater value. The plan for designating the mechanical condition is as follows : n—fine, d—good, r—fair, s—coarse, b—very coarse, p—damp, y—lumpy, and w—wet. Relative Seaboard Value per Ton of Unmixed Ingredients. For the purpose of a better comparison among the various brands, and to give some idea of their worth, the relative seaboard value of the unmixed ingredients per ton are given as determined by the analy-sis. In the next column is also given, calculated in a similar way, the value of the guaranteed amounts of the constituents. A fuller discussion upon these relative commercial values, how they are cal-culated, and in what way they are useful, will be found in the two following sections. How the Valuations of Constituents are Determined. The valuations of the three constituents, available phosphoric acid, ammonia, and potash, are intended to give the market price for cash at the seaboard of the ingredients making up a fertilizer. The cash price for small lots in bags, free on board cars, are intended. These valuations are made up early in January of each year, to run through the spring and fall seasons. It is expected that there will be variations in the market price of the ingredients during the course of the year, but experience lias shown that this variation will be slight. This is because fertilizing materials are largely contracted for in advance before the opening of the year, and in many cases a large majority of the fertilizers are already manipulated before the beginning of the season. The valuation of the constituents are fixed by a careful examina-tion of existing conditions of the trade, the markets at important centres, and from actual quotations given by seaboard manufactur-ers and dealers upon the various ingredients used for manipulating fertilizers. These quotations are for cash in small lots of five tons and less, free on board and bagged. The valuations for the year 1897 have been fixed at the following rates : For available phosphoric acid 4 cents per pound. For ammonia 12 " " For potash __ 5 " " The analyses hereafter given in this bulletin are calculated at the above rate, which rate will be retained during the coming year, and published in the bi-weekly analyses of fertilizers already mentioned. During the past year (1896) available phosphoric acid was valued at 4J cents per pound, ammonia at 13 cents, and potash at 5 cents. Consequently the valuations for the present year (1897) are reduced by \ cent per pound for available phosphori
Object Description
Description
Title | Annual report of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station |
Other Title | Twentieth and twenty-first annual reports of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station of the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts |
Date | 1897; 1898 |
Description | Includes North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins no. 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151 (nos. 134 & 135 left blank) |
Table Of Contents | Fertilizer analyses of the fertilizer control 1; A watning in regard to compost peddlers 35; The San Jose scale in North Carolina 43; Home-mixed fertilizers and composts 57; Volumetric estimation of phosphoric acid 121; A new tobacco pest 129; Comfortable low-cost barns 137; Feeding experiments, milk records, etc 157; Ornithology of North Carolina 193; Crimson clover 229; Miscellaneous farm bulletin 249; A study of lettuces. 265; Digestion experiments, pasteurization of milk 273; The apple in North Carolina 305; Medicinal plants of North Carolina 327; The fertilizer control for 1897 411 |
Publisher | [Raleigh, N.C.?]: Board of Agriculture,1879-1944. |
Rights | State Document see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/u?/p249901coll22,63754 |
Collection | North Carolina State Documents Collection. State Library of North Carolina |
Language | English |
Digital Characteristics-A | 440 p.; 34.06 MB |
Digital Collection | North Carolina Digital State Documents Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_ag_aragriculturalexperiment1898.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_ag\images_master |
Full Text | North Carolina State Library Gift of /IxrxJcJLj Cct/t^U^o/ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 With funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/annualreportofn189798nort Worth Carolina State Lib, Raleigh rary 0*% An. Rep. 20 and 2 I August 1 , 1898. the north carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, W. A. WITHERS, A. M., Acting Director. Report of the Director FOR 1897 AND I 898 (HALF YEAR). 20th"and 2 1st Years. RALEIGH, N. C. 494 Publications will be sent to any address In North Carolina upon application. NORTH CAROLINA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS, RALEIGH, N. C. THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES. J. C. h. Harris, President, Raleigh. J. R. Chamberlaim Raleigh. S. L. Crowder Ridgeway. L,. C. Edwards Oxford. J W. Harden, Jr Raleigh. MaTT Moore Warsaw. J. Z. Waller Burlington. H. K. Bonitz Wilmington. J. J. Britt Bakersville Alex. Q. Holladay Raleigh STATION COUNCIL. Alex. Q. Holladay, LL. D., President of the College. W. A. Withers, A. M Professor of Chemistry. F. E. Emery, M. S Professor of Agriculture. W. F. Massey, C. E Professor of Horticulture EXPERIMENT STATION STAFF. W. A. Withers., A. M, Acting Director and Chemist. F. E. Emery, M. S Agriculturist. W. F. Massey, C. E Horticulturist. C. B. Williams, M. S Assistant Chemist. H. K. Midler, M. S Assistant Chemist. C. D. Harris, B. S Assistant Chemist. A. W. Blair, A. M Assistant Chemist. J. A. Bizzell, B. S Assistant Chemist. F. G. Kelly Assistant Chemist. G. S. Fraps, B. S ...Assistant Chemist. Alex. Rhodes (Southern Pines) ...Assistant Horticulturist. C. W. Hyams Assistant Botanist. J. M. Johnson, M. S Assistant Agriculturist. F. E. Hege Poultryman. B. S. Skinner Superintendent of Farm. J. M. Fix Secretary. H. E. King Chief Clerk. C. M. Hughes, B. E Clerk. Miss M. S. Birdsong Stenographer. Mrs. L. V. Darby Stenographer. The Director's office is in the main building of the College. Telephone No. 135 C. The street cars pass within one hundred yards of the College building. The Station is glad to receive any inquiries on agricultural subjects. Address all communications to the Agricultural Experiment Station, and not to individuals. They will be referred to the members of the Station staff most competent to answer them, Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. To His Excellency, Daniel L. Russell, Governor of North Carolina. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the opera-tions of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station from January 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898. This report is made in accordance with the following portion of Section 3, of the Hatch Act, of the Congress of the United States for the maintenance of Agricultural Experiment Stations in the various States and Territories. " It shall be the duty of each of the said Stations, annually, on or before the first day of February, to make to the Governor of the State or Territory in which it is located, a full and detailed report of its operations, including a statement of receipts and expendi-tures." Trusting that this report will prove satisfactory to your Excel-lency, I am, Very respectfully yours, J. C. L. HARRIS, President Board of Trustees. 111 The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, Presidents Office. Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. Hon. J. C. E. Harris, President Board of Trustees. Sir : I transmit herewith the report of Professor W. A. Withers, Director of the North Carolina Experiment Station from January 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, inclusive. It furnishes a full and clear statement of the work of the Station, together with many gratify-ing evidences of steady growth and increased usefulness to the State under its present head. I have the honor to be Very respectfully, ALEX. Q. HOEEADAY, President. IV The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Office of the Director. Raleigh, N. C, August i, 1898. To Alex. Q. Holladay, 1,1,. D., President of the N. C. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the opera-tions of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, for the year and a half ending, June 30, 1898. The work for the first six months of this period was performed during the Directorship of Dr. H. B. Battle. This report covers the work of the Station for the twentieth year and a portion of the twenty-first year. It is made in accordance with Section 3, of the Hatch Act, of the Congress of the United States, for the maintenance of Agricultural Experiment Stations in the various States and Territories. The previous Annual Reports of the Station cover periods end-ing with December 31, of each year. The present report is arranged so as to cover the work of the fiscal year ending June 30, in accord-ance with the wish of United States Department of Agriculture, expressed to me in a letter which is appended hereto. I trust the report will prove satisfactory to yourself, the Board of Trustees and His Excellency, the Governor of the State, to whom I should be pleased for you to transmit it in accordance with the law above referred to. Very respectfully, W. A. WITHERS, Acting Director. [copy.] United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations. Washington, D. C, June 29, 1897. Dear Sir : The Experiment Stations in fifteen States now make the Annual Reports of their operations as well as their Financial Reports, cover the fiscal year ending June 30. Now that this De-partment is required to make a report to Congress on the work and expenditures of the Stations for each fiscal year, it would be better, as far as we are concerned, if it was the uniform practice of the Stations to make their Annual Reports for the fiscal year. There is nothing in the Hatch Act to forbid this. That act simply calls for an Annual Report without defining exactly the period to be covered. Will you kindly inform me whether there is anything in the laws of your State which would prevent a change in your prac-tice in this regard or any other good and sufficient reasons for making your report cover a period other than the fiscal year ? If we could receive the report of the work and expenditures of all the Stations by September 1, it would enable us to make our report to Congress at the opening of the session in December. It would then receive proper consideration by the committees in con-nection with the appropriation bill. As it is now, the information available for these committees is a year old when the report is con-sidered and may unfairly represent the condition of affairs at a number of the Stations at that time. Very truly yours, (Signed) A. C. TRUE, Director. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Letter of transmittal to the Governor in Letter of transmittal to the President of the Board of Trustees iv Letter of transmittal to the President of the College v Letter of Dr. A. C. True, Director, office of Experiment Stations, U. S. Department of Agriculture VI Report of the Director ix Scope of work ix Chemical and microscopical work ix Experimental work in the field, stables and diary ix Bureau of information x Samples for examination x Divisions of the station x Equipment. x Experiment station council xi The working force of the station ". xi The publications of the station xn Summary of publications issued from Jan. 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, inclusive xni Of the annual reports of the station. . . *. xni Of the regular bulletins xiv Of the special bulletins xvi Of the information bulletins xvi Of the press bulletins xvn Of the bulletin xvn Co-operative horticultural work at Southern Pines xix The examination of nursery stock xx Matter for ' ' the bulletin " , xx Farmers' institutes xxi Correspondence xxi Feeding experiments xxi Testing for tuberculosis. xxi Field crop tests xxn Poultry keeping xxn Horticultural experiments xxn Botanical investigations xxin Entomological work xxin Experimental chemical work xxin Fertilizer control analyses.. xxin Analysis of samples for the public xxin Acknowledgements xxiv Books and pamphlets xxiv Papers and journals outside the State xxv Papers received from inside the State xxvi Conclusion. . xxvi Report of the agriculturist xxvn Report of the chemist. xxxm Report of the horticulturist, botanist and entomologist xxxv Financial statement for the year ending June 30, 1897 xu Financial statement for the year ending June 30, 1898 xiji viii TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE. Fertilizer analyses of the fertilizer control 1 A watning in regard to compost peddlers 35 The San Jose scale in North Carolina 43 Home-mixed fertilizers and composts 57 Volumetric estimation of phosphoric acid 121 A new tobacco pest 129 Comfortable low-cost barns 137 Feeding experiments, milk records, etc 157 Ornithology of North Carolina 193 Crimson clover 229 Miscellaneous farm bulletin 249 A study of lettuces . 265 Digestion experiments, pasteurization of milk 273 The apple in North Carolina 305 Medicinal plants of North Carolina 327 The fertilizer control for 1897 411 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE N. C. AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENT STATION; For the Half Year Endinc June 30, 1897, and for the Year Ending June 30, I 898; 20th and 2 I st Years. The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station was estab-lished in March, 1877, with a two-fold object in view : First, To act as a Fertilizer Control Station; and second, as an Agricultural Experiment Station in the true sense of the word. Until 1887 the Station was supported entirely by the State from the tax on fertilizers, but by legislative enactment of that year it received the fund derived from the United States Hatch Act for the maintenance of Experiment Stations in the various States and Ter-ritories, and therefore the scope of the work was largely increased. The Station receives at present, also, a sum from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for conducting the analytical work of the Fertilizer Control. Scope of Work. I. Chemical and Microscopical Work, including — 1. The analysis of fertilizers legally on sale in the State. 2. The analysis of agricultural chemicals, of composts and home-made ferti-lizers, and all materials from which they can be made. 3. The analysis of marls and mucks. 4. The analysis of feeding-stuffs. 5. The examination of seeds with reference to their purity, and capacity to germinate. 6. The examination of grasses and weeds. h 7. The study of insects injurious to vegetation. 8. The analysis of milk, butter and other dairy products. 9. Investigation of fungous diseases of plants, and remedies designed to erad-icate them. 10. Such other chemical and microscopical investigations as are demanded from time to time. II. Experimental Work in the Fieed, Stable and Dairy, including — 1. The effect of different fertilizers on various soils of the State. 2. The study of improved methods for the cultivation of the staple crops. 3. The study of the best treatment of worn-out lands. 4. The study of the best system for the rotation of crops. ' 5. Chemical investigations, with practical experiments with cattle, on the value of the various forage crops, especially those common in North Car-olina. 6. Investigations upon the growth of new crops for this climate, in compari-son with those we now have. 7. The construction of the silo, and value of ensilage. 8. The study of the growth of cattle using different feeding-stuffs. x N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. 9. Investigations in the production of milk and butter, under different con-ditions and with various implements. 10. Digestion experiments with stock, to ascertain the real value of various feeding-stuffs. 11. Experiments with the various feeding rations, to ascertain how far the feeding standards can be relied on. 12. Tests to compare the value of different varieties of fruits, vegetables and other horticultural products. 13. Investigations designed to develope the vineyard and trucking interests of the State. 14. Investigations upon the diseases of cattle and domestic animals, and the dissemination of information concerning the treatment of various diseases. 15. Studies as to the best methods of enlarging the poultry business of the State, and placing it upon a profitable footing. 16. Such other work, from time to time, as may be deemed advisable for the interest of the agriculture of the State. III. A Bureau of Information upon all subjects connected with the agricultural industries of the State. Under this head is included — 1. Publications of the Stations, embracing five different classes of bulletins and two of reports. These publications contain the results of the investi-gations carried on, as well as a resume of work done elsewhere, in order instruct or advance the general agricultural interests. 2. Direct correspondence, through the various divisions of the Station, with individual farmers, information being always given as promptly and care-fully as possible by those most competent to do so. 3. Personal contact of the Station staff with farmers and others at institutes and fairs, and by visits to farms, etc. IV. Samples for Examination.—Samples, when sent by citizens of the State, for chemical or other examinations, will be examined and their value reported free of charge, under certain conditions and stipulations — 1. If the experimental work of the Station will not be retarded. 2. If the work is of an agricultural character. 3. If the sample is from the sender's own land. 4. If they are of suffcient public interest, and the Station is free to publish the results. 5. If the samples are taken and sent according to the Station's printed forms, and are fully described. Divisions of the Station. In order to facilitate the work of the Experiment Station, it has been subdivided into — Executive Division. 6. Horticultural Division. Chemical Division. 7. Veterinary Division. Agricultural Division. 8. Fertilizer Control Division. Botanical Division. 9. Division of Publications. Entomological Division. Equipment. The Director's office is in the Main Building of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The removal from the Agricultural Building in Raleigh was made on July 14, 1898. The Experiment Farm is located about one mile and a half west of the city of Raleigh, and adjoins the Fair Grounds of the State Agricultural Society. It is near the College grounds. On the farm are kept located the experimental dairy, silos and barn, in which are the cattle under test for production of milk and for TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xi other purposes. Here is also located the poultry work of the Sta-tion, comprising eight yards and the necessary equipment for car-rying on the work. Field crop tests are also conducted as far as possible upon the land of the farm. During the period embraced by this Report, Primrose Hall was erected upon the College grounds and is now used for the College and Station work in horticulture, botany and entomology—the bo-tanical and entomological work having been transferred to this hall from the Agricultural Building in Raleigh. A part of the land adjoining this building was assigned for horticultural pur-poses. A portion of the horticultural work is also done at Southern Pines. The experimental chemical work is performed in the College laboratories and in the laboratories in the Agriciiltural Building. The Fertilizer Control Division occupies the offices and labora-tories located upon the main floor in the north wing of the Agri-cultural Building in Raleigh, immediately north of the State capitol. Experiment Station Council. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees held in June, 1897, ^ was decided to create a Station Council. This Council is composed of the President of the College, and the Professors of Agriculture, Horticulture and Chemistry. The President of the College is Pres-ident of the Council, the remaining members are respectively Agri-culturist, Horticulturist and Chemist of the Station. The Working Force at the Station. During the past year and a half several changes were made in the Station staff. The following connections with the Station wrere severed : On July 1, 1897, Dr. H. B. Battle, Director; Messrs. B. W. Kil-gore, W. M. Allen and S. E. Asbury, Assistant Chemists ; and Mr. A. F. Bowen, Secretary. On September 1, 1897, Mr. Gerald McCar-thy, Botanist and Entomologist. On February 15, 1898, Mr. S. B. Moore, Clerk, and Mr. E. W. Physioc, Mailing Clerk ; on March 31, Mr. J. D. Huffham, Jr., Assistant Chemist. The following additions were made to the Station staff : On July 1, 1897, W. A. Withers, Chemist; Messrs. C. B. Williams, C. D. Harris, A. W. Blair, J. D. Huffham, Jr., and J. A. Bizzell, Assistant Chemists ; Mr. J. M. Fix, Secretary ; Mr. S. B. Moore, Clerk ; Mr. H. E. King, Chief Clerk of the Fertilizer Control Di-vision. On September 1st, Mr. J. M. Johnson, Assistant Agricul-turist, and Mr. C. W. Hyams, Assistant Botanist. On March 15, 1898, Mrs. E. V. Darby, Stenographer. On April 1st, C. M. Hughes, Clerk. On May 1st, Mr. G. S. Fraps, Assistant Chemist. xii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. On March 15th, Mr. F. G. Kelly, who had previously per-formed clerical duties, began work as Assistant Chemist. The Chemist of the Station was asked to assume also, temporarily, the duties of the Directorship. He has been doing so since July 1, 1897. Publications ok the Station. The publications of the Station are as follows : A. Annual Reports ok the Station.—Each edition 1,000 copies. Numbered consecutively with the years, 1-1878, 2-1879, 3-1880, and so on. Prior to 1888 these reports contained results from the year's work, and took the place of separate Bulletins which appeared thereafter. The An-nual Reports now contain copies of the regular Bulletins issued during the year, and are sent to exchanges only, and not to the general mailing list. Latest issued was nineteenth annual for 1896. B. Biennial Report ok the Station.—Sent to the Governor for transmission to the General Assembly. Each edition 500 to 3,000 copies, numbered consecutively i-(i877, i878),V(i879, 1880), 3-(i88i, 1882), etc. These reports are demanded by State authorities, and are not intended for general distribution. Latest issue was Ninth Biennial Re-port for the years 1895 and 1896. C. Bulletins—Regular. Each edition about 20,000 copies. For popular reading, with the scientific terms avoided as far as possible. Sent to all names on the mailing list. When bulletins more or less technical in character are issued they are sent to the scientific institutions, but notice in regard to them is given to every name upon our mailing list, and the Station is glad to supply them to any who may wish them. The latest issue is No. 151. D. Bulletins—Special. Each edition, varying in number from 500 to 60,000 copies for special purposes, as occasion de-mands. Numbered consecutively 1, 2, etc. Sent only to special names, as occasion demands. Latest issue is No. 49. E. Inkormation Bulletins.—Designed for distribution to col-lect information concerning practical and useful plans of farm management or methods of cultivation of diiferent crops, etc., to be collated thereafter for use in general bul-letins. The latest issue is No. 8. F. Bulletins—Press. Each edition 600 copies. Short reading-articles for newspaper columns. First number was May 24, 1890. Sent to newspaper exchanges. Latest issue is No. 78. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xiii G. The Bulletin.—This publication is issued monthly under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture, and, among other things, contains popular articles by members of the Station staff, answers to queries and other informa-tion of interest to the general public. This publication has, to a large extent, taken the place of our press bulletins. The three classes of bulletins previously published by the Sta-tion in regard to the weather are no longer issued on account of the separation of the State Weather Service from the Experiment Station on October i, 1896, to which attention was called in a pre-vious report. The special bi-weekly fertilizer Bulletins are no longer issued separately by the Experiment Station, as these analyses are published in The Bulletin under the supervision of the Depart-ment of Agriculture. Publications During the Year. During the period embraced by this Report, publications have been issued, divided as foilows : Series A—Annual Report of the Station—1 report, containing 88 pages. " C—Regular Bulletins—16 bulletins, containing 372 pages. " D—Special Bulletins—10 bulletins, containing 170 pages. " E—Information Bulletin—2 bulletins, containing 3 pages. " F—Press Bulletins—2 bulletins, containing 2 pages. " G—The Bulletin—19 issues, containing 150 pages. Total during first half of 1897, 20 publications, containing 308 pages, and during the year ending June 30, 1898, 30 publications, containing 477 pages. Total for year and a half, 50 publications, with 785 pages. SUMMARY OF PUBLICATIONS ISSUED FROM JANUARY 1, 1S97, TO JUNE 30, 1898. A. OF THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE STATION. No. 19.—The Work during 1896, of the North Carolina Agricul-tural Experiment Station. January 9, 1897. 88 pp. Letter of transmittal. Board of Control and .staff of Experiment Station. Report of the Director. The Fertilizer Control Station. Agricultural Experiment Station. Divisions of the Station. Equipment. The working force of the Station. The publications of the Station. Summary of publications issued during 1896. Co-operative horticultural work at South-ern Pines. Examination of nursery stock. Preparation of the matter for the Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Co-operation with the United States Weather Bureau. Legislation in regard to crop diseases. New poultry Division. Forage grasses. The home vegetable garden. Educational bulle-tins. Acknowledgments. Report of the Agriculturist. Report of the first assistant Chemist. Report of the Botanist and Entomologist. Report of the Horticulturist. Report of the poultry manager. Financial statement. Ap-pendix, containing the opinions of nearly 1,000 North Carolina farmers, repre-senting ninety-five counties, in regard to the work of the North Carolina Agri-cultural Experimant Station. The value of the Station work as expressed by 146 non-residents from thirty-three States. The value of the Station's work as expressed by fifteen residents of foreign countries. Bulletins 124 to 135, in-clusive, issued during 1896. xiv N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. C. OF THE REGULAR BULLETINS, 16 ISSUES. No. 136.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. January 12, 1897. 34 pp. Including official analyses of spring and fall samples of 1896. The Fertilizer Control Station. Analyses for 1897. The present fer-tilizer laws. When analyses of fertilizers are made for farmers. The necessity of accurate sampling. The need of fertilizer analyses, and an explanation of terms used. Terms used in analysis. Phosphoric acid. Nitrogen or ammonia. Potash. Water. Guaranteed percentage. Mechanical condition. Relative seaboard value per ton of unmixed ingredients. How the valuations of con-stituents are determined. How values per ton are calculated, and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points, and the detailed analyses of all fertilizers during 1896. No. 137.—A Warning in Regard to Compost Peddlers. January 20, 1897. 8 pp. Warning to the people of North Carolina against the " Champion Chemical Process Company," or any similar concern operated on the same basis. A copy of the circular distributed by the company, and a dis-cussion of the same. No. 138.—The San Jose Scale in North Carolina. January 30, 1897. 14 pp. Plants attacked. Original home. Life history. Methods of dissemination . Natural enemies. Remedies. Seven experimental tests. What to do with the infested nursery stock. Formulas for scale insec-ticides. Whale oil soap, winter rosin wash, hydrocyanic acid gas: Discussion of the formulas and method of applying. Proposed bill regulating inspection. A paper prepared for the General Assembly on crop pests and their damages. No. 139.—Home-Mixed Fertilizers and Composts. February 8, 1897. 16 pp. Introduction. The need of home-mixing of fertilizers. The advantage of compost-making. When to prepare composts. How and where to prepare the compost. How much to apply. How and when to apply. Top dressings. Do not apply fertilizers or composts too near the seed or plant. The use of stable manure. Stable manure composted with other ingredients, to be used in addition to those given in the formulas. Cost of ingredients. Approximate retail cost of fertilizing ingredients in Central North Carolina. Formulas for mixtures and composts. F^ive formulas for mixed fertilizers, and five for composts for cotton and corn. Four formulas for mixed fertilizers, and five for composts for small grain. Six formulas for mixed fertilizers and four for composts for tobacco. Two formulas for mixed fertilizers for grass. Eight formulas for mixed fertilizers for vegetables. Four formulas for mixed fertili-zers for sweet potatoes. Three formulas for mixed fertilizers for peanuts. Four formulas for mixed fertilizers for fruit. Two formulas for mixed fertili-zers for cow-peas. Five formulas for mixed fertilizers for top dressing. No. 140.—Volumetric Estimation of Phosphoric Acid. May 10, 1897. 8 pp. A further communication on the estimation of phosphoric acid by titration of the ammonium phospho-molybdate precipitate with standard alkali, and comparative phosphoric acid results on various fertilizer materials by gravimetric and volumetric methods. No. 141.—A New Tobacco Pest. July 2r, 1897. 8 pp. Description of the tobacco miner. Remedies. Two cuts. No. 142.—Comfortable L,ow Cost Barns. August 23, 1897. 20 pp. Cheap small barn for a correspondent. Barn for the State Geological Survey. Still another cheap barn. Circular barn, and yards for thirty cows. North Carolina Experiment Farm barn. 13 cuts. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xv No. 143.—Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, Etc. September 30, 1897. 36 pp. Comparative effect of some rations fed to milch cows. Effect of changes of food. Table of temperature in Experiment Farm barn. Conclusion. Rations calculated to digestible constituents for 1,000 pounds live weight. Is skim, or buttermilk, best for pigs? Tables of feed and results. Summary of record of milk and butter production of station herd 1895 and 1896. Note on records of cows for 1896. Tables giving value of pro-duct and of food consumed and prices paid for food. Experiment Farm barn, well suited for animal comforts. Table of stable temperature record. No. 144.—Ornithology of North Carolina. October 30, 1897. 36 pp. A list of the birds of North Carolina; with notes of each species, arranged by famlies with index. The list includes 303 species, with 22 which would seem to be found on the coast or within the borders of the State. Map of North Carolina. No. 145.—Crimson Clover. December 22, 1897. 20 pp. Experiments at the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Press Bulletins on crimson clover. Crimson clover among North Carolina farmers. Questions asked and summary of replies. Reported failures. Conclusions generally favorable. Serious losses from feed-ing over-ripe crimson clover hay. Early and recent introductions of crimson clover into North Carolina. No. 146.—Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin. December 31, 1897. 16 pp. A small variety test of cow-peas. Test of effect of chemical manure and cotton-seed meal on the germination of wheat. A variety test of cotton. Some experiments with potatoes. Tables. No. 147.—A Study of Lettuces. June 6, 1898. 8 pp. The results of a varietal test of lettuces, for the benefit of the lettuce growers of North Carolina. No. 148.—Digestion Experiments and Pasteurization of Milk. June 8, 1898. 32 pp. Hay alone, and in rations with cotton-seed meal. Crab-grass hay. Tables showing percentage composition of foods, waste and solid excrement, nutrients consumed and excreted with percentages digested. Pas-teurization of milk. Table showing how temperature of milk follows that of water in controlled pasteurization. One cut. No. 149.—The Apple in North Carolina. June 11, 1898. 22 pp. Analyses of the apple tree and its products. Seedlings vs. grafted fruit trees. Where apples will grow. What kind of trees to plant. What age to plant trees. Preparation of the land for the orchard. How far apart to plant trees. When to plant. How to plant a tree. Laying off the rows. Pruning the tops. Pruning the growing tree. Cultivation of apple orchards. Do not pasture the orchard. Manuring the orchard. General treatment. What varieties of apples shall we plant ? Summer apples. Fall apples. Winter apples. Varieties for Eastern North Carolina. For midland North Carolina. For Western North Carolina. Crab apples. Gathering and marketing apples. How to gather apples. Keeping winter apples. Fungous diseases of the apple. Insect enemies of the apple. Composition of spraying mixtures. No. 150.—Medicinal Plants which have been collected and used in North Carolina. June 13, 1898. 84 pp. 833 varieties arranged by families. The Bulletin is aimed as a record and not an endorsement of the medicinal properties of any plant. An index is added giving also the more common name. Xvi N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. No. 151.—The Fertilizer Control During 1897. June 15, 1898. 12 pp. Publications containing fertilizer analyses. Relation of the Station to the fertilizer control. Firms which registered brands for sale in North Carolina during T897. Extent and distribution of the trade. Valuation of fertilizers and how they are determined. Average precentage composition of fertilizers on sale in North Carolina for several years. Increase of number of brands and the difficulty in a proper control. General conclusions. D. OF THE SPECIAL BULLETINS, 10 ISSUES. No. 40.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. February 20, 1897. 14 pp. First bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. The pres-ent fertilizer laws. New plan for stating the analyses of fertilizers. Terms used in an analysis. How the valuations of constituents are determined. How values per ton are calculated and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points. Analyses of 53 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 41.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. March 6, 1897. 16 pp. Second bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents-similar to No. 40. Analyses of 92 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 42.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. March 20, 1897. 22 pp. Third bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents similar to No. 40. Analyses of 148 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 43.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. April 3, 1897. 24 pp. Fourth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents similar to No. 40. Analyses of 193 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 44.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. April 17, 1897. 28 pp. Fifth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents simi-lar to No. 40. Analyses of 245 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 45.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. May 11, 1897. 32 pp. Sixth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Contents simi-lar to No. 40. Analyses of 281 samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 46.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. May 22, 1897. 8 pp. Seventh bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Issued as a supple-ment to No. 45. Analyses of 42 additional samples analyzed by the fertilizer control . No. 47.—Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control. ? June 26, 1897. 12 pp. Eighth bi-weekly edition, season of 1897. Issued as a supplement to No. 46. Analyses of 103 additional samples analyzed by the fertilizer control. No. 48.—The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. October 20, 1897. 12 pp. Pamphlet descriptive of the work of the Station and its exhibit at the Annual Fair of the North Carolina Agricultural Society. No. 49.—Sugar Beets. March 12, 1898. 2 pp. Directions in regard to soil, fertilizers, and the planting of sugar beets. E. OF THE INFORMATION BULLETIN, 2 ISSUES. No. 7.—July 27, 1897. I p. Inquiries as to pests of tobacco. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. XVH No. 8.—February 28, 1898. 2 pp. Inquries as to dairying and markets for dairy products in North Carolina. F. OF THE PRESS BULLETINS, 2 ISSUES. No. J J.—February 1, 1898. 1 p. Article : Concerning publication of fertilizer analyses by the Department of Agriculture, instead of Experiment Station. No. 78.—February 17, 1898. 1 p. Article : Sugar-beet seed for distribution by the Experiment Station. G. THE BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPART-MENT OF AGRICULTURE, 7 ISSUES. January, 1897. 4% pp. Articles: Improve yonr stock. White specs or frogs eye of tobacco. Year book of the Experiment Station for 1894. Two and two make four. Decom-posing old bones without grinding. Improving land for grass. Tread-power for dairy purposes, churns, butter-workers, etc. Tobacco stems as a fertilizer. Propagating the scuppernong grape-vine. February, 1897. 3 pp. Articles : A possible cotton pest. Look out for cut-worms. The Experiment Station year-book for 1895. A warning in regard to compost peddlers. The so-called dissolved bone. Ensilage for horses. Crops for truck in central North Carolina. Dairy Journal. Pit for keeping milk and butter- Shade trees for lawns. March, 1897. 7 pp. Articles : Commercial fertilizers. New plan for stating the analyses of fertili-zers. Do not buy nursery stock from unreliable parties. Ramie. North Car-olina Experiment Station sugar-corn. Table containing ninety-two fertilizer analyses at Experiment Station for the State Board of Agriculture. April, 1897. 8 pp. Articles: That compost peddler. What shall we feed the work mule ? Preserv-atives for milk and cream,—let them alone. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made, by North Carolina Experiment Station for the State Board of Agriculture. May, 1897. 4 pp. Articles: How to use fertilizers. Newr forage and fibre plants. Some cheapo coarse cattle food. Do not give up the fight too soon. Look out for cattle flies. Depreciation of fertilizers. Feeding problem. Pruning a pear tree. A ration for dairy cow. Variety of muskmelon. Buckwrheat. June, 1897. 8 pp. Articles : _ Rotation for a forty-acre field. Poultry pointers for summer. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made at the North Carolina Agricultural Ex-periment Station for the Board of Agriculture. July, 1897. iy/2 pp. Articles : Fruit nurseries needed in North Carolina. The American hen. What to plant in the corn field. Culture of ramie. Novelties in forage plants. Chickens for general use. Hogs and feeding, carrots, turnips, etc. Fertilizer for strawberries. Crimson clover for horses. Soil and fertilizer for celery.. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses, made at the North Carolina Experi-ment Station, for the Board of Agriculture. North Carolina State Library Raleigh xviii N.C AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1893. G. THE BULLETIN OF THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION OF NORTH CAROLINA, 12 ISSUES. September, 1897. 13 pp. Articles : Natural plant food. Warning to purchasers of nursery stock. A new shade-tree pest. Practical poultry pointers. A new disease of asparagus. In-spection of nurseries. Cabbage blight. Weeds in the clover field. Cooked cotton seed as a human food and as a feed for stock. Fertilizer for wheat. Cur-ing of corn. Table containing 217 fertilizer analyses made by the North Caro-lina Experiment Station for the Department of Agriculture. October, 1897. 11 pp. Articles : Examination of nursery stock. Nurseries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Laws affecting the sanitary ar-rangements for stock, etc., and their relation to the public health. Remedy for moles. Some agricultural and horticultural books. Fertilizer for wheat. Street shade trees. Two hundred and seventeen fertilizer analyses by the. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the Board of Agriculture. November, 1897. 8 pp. Articles : Examination of nursery stock. Nurseries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Crimson clover seed. Treatment of bones on the farm. Testing the health of the dairy herd. Rotation of crops. Fruit. Acid phosphate. Ration for cows. Gathering and curing corn. Ninety-eight analyses of fall samples of fertilizers by the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the North Carolina Department of Agri-culture. December, 1897. 11 yz pp. Articles : Request of breeders of stock. Examination of nursery stock. Nurse-ries outside of North Carolina which have filed certificates of examination. Improving native grass. Cotton-seed meal for cattle. Cattle suitable for Western North Carolina. Insect pests of chestnuts and English walnuts. Acid phosphate and high grade fertilizers. Fertilizer for strawberries. Cotton-seed meal for a feed and fertilizer. Sun-flower seed. Clover parasite. Fertilizer for strawberries. Ashes. Hedges. January poultry notes. Note in regard to fertilizer analyses. Table containing analyses of 131 samples of fertilizers for the Department of Agriculture. January, 1898. 9^2 pp- Articles : Note on fertilizer bulletins. Pure food congress. Pea threshers. Pure food legislation. Sugar-beet seed for distribution. Sugar-beet in North Caro-lina. Improvement of land. Irish potatoes. The wide tire. Fertilizer for sweet potatoes. Cotton-seed meal and kernels. Sheep-raising. Worth of soda as a top dressing. Lime in the compost heap. Feeds and fertilizers. Remedy for the escape of ammonia from the manure pile. Leaves and their fertilizing value. Onions. Velvet bean. Ashes as a top dressing. Fertilizers for Irish potatoes and strawberries. Tobacco stems for trees. February, 1898. 6*4 pp. Articles : National legislation for nurserymen. The commission for controlling •crop pests. Note on fertilizer bulletins. Fertilizer analyses for 1898. Prepa-ration of samples. Plan of reporting analyses of fertilizer. Terms used in analysis. Methods of analysis. Guaranteed percentages. Mechanical con-dition. Valuations. How values per ton are calculated, and how they can be utilized by farmers. Table of freight rates from the seaboard to interior points. The Experimental Farm of the State Horticultural Society at Southern Pines. Poultry at the Experiment Station. Station stock among the farmers. Some butter sales. Apples suitable for Eastern North Carolina. Rape culture. Time of pruning apple trees. A butter-maker's difficulty. Table containing thirty-eight fertilizer analyses for the Department of Agriculture. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xix March 15, 1898. 3 ^ pp. Articles : Table of freight rate from seaboard to interior points. Note in regard to fertilizer analyses for 1898. Preparation of samples. Plan of reporting analyses of fertilizers.Terms used in an analysis. Table containing sixty-eight fertilizer analyses for North Carolina Department of Agriculture. Marcli 31, 1898. 6 pp. Articles : Rheumatism in hogs. Cotton-seed meal. Onions, cantaloupes and cucumbers. Some fertilizer hints. Giant beggar-weed. Utilization of offal from herring fisheries. How to apply stable manure. Fertilizer for sweet patatoes. Table containing ninety-nine fertilizer analyses for the North Caro-lina Department of Agriculture. April 15, 1898. $y2 pp. Table containing 192 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department Agri-culture. May 1, 1898. 10 pp. Articles : A dairy inspection. Comparative results from fertilizers. Fertilizer for tobacco. Sheep. Reduction of bones. Spray for apple trees. Analysis of soil. A spray for apple trees. Box lye for plants. Table containing 240 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. May 15, 1898. 7^ pp. Table containing 282 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. June I, 1898. IO pp. Articles : Handling the apple crop. Fire blight. Effect of lime in the compost heap. Table containing 344 fertilizer analyses for the North Carolina Depart-ment of Agriculture. Co-operative Horticultural Work at Southern Pines. This work is divided into two departments—the fruit depart-ment, which was established in 1895, and the vegetable department, which was established in 1896. The work was instituted to study the effects of different proportions of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, and the proportions best suited for the fruit and vegetable crops grown in that section. These farms are located in Moore county, N. C, near Southern Pines, and have been alluded to in previous reports. The work is under the supervision of a commit-tee composed of representatives from the State Horticultural So-ciety, the Experiment Station and the German Kali Works. The representatives at present are as follows : Mr. J. Van Lindley, Pres-ident ; Mr. Thos. L. Brown, Secretary ; and Mr. P. H. Beck, of the Horticultural Society ; Dr. B. Von Herff, of the German Kali Works; Prof. W. A.' Withers, Acting Director, and Prof. W. F. Massey, Horticulturist, of the Experiment Station. Prof. W. A. Withers is Chairman of the Supervising Committee, Prof. Massey is Horticulturist, and Mr. A. Rhodes, Assistant Horticulturist of the Station, is the Superintendent of the Farm. The chemical work and work of supervision are performed without compensation xx N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. by the members of the staff of the Experiment Station. The Ger-man Kali Works contributes a sufficient amount to cover other expenses incurred in the management of the farms. The report for 1895 has been issued. The reports for 1896 and 1897 have been delayed for various reasons, but will doubtless be issued soon. The Examination of the Nursery Stock. Atteution was called early in 1897 by the Experiment Station to the fact that the San Jose scale, which had proven so injurious to the fruit trees in other States, had made its appearance in North Carolina. A bill was framed by the Experiment Station, endorsed by the State Horticultural Society, the Board of Agriculture, and other organizations of influence, and finally enacted into law by the General Assembly. The law, as enacted, creates the North Carolina Commission for Controlling Crop Pests, and makes its membership the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Director of the State Agricultural Experiment Station, and the President of the State Horticultural Society. The Director is Chairman of the Commission. Authority is given to this Commission to adopt such regulations for the shipment of nursery stock to consumers in North Carolina as may be deemed necessary, and not inconsistent with the constitution and the laws of the State or the United States. Eight circulars have been issued cantaining the regulations adopted by the Commission in regard to inspection and shipment of nursery stock. Since that time the nurseries of the State have been regu-larly inspected, and an attempt has also been made to impress upon the owners of orchards the importance of exterminating the scale. A full and detailed report will be made to the Legislature of 1899 in regard to the work of the Commission. Matter for "The Bulletin.' 1 At the request of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Experi-ment Station furnishes, each month for publication, in the Bulletin of the Department, various articles of popular interest relating to the work of the Experiment Station. It furnishes, also, such re-plies to letters received as are deemed of general interest. With the issue of July, 1897, this publication ceased to exist as the Bul-letin of the Department. Its successor is "The Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station of North Carolina," which is published monthly under the supervision of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. The first issue bears date of Septem-ber, 1897. Through the medium of these publications the Expe-riment Station has furnished, during the past year and a half, 148 articles and 15 tables containing, analyses of fertilizers, and cov-ering in all 1 50 pages' of printed matter. twentieth and twenty-first annual reports. xxi Farmers' Institutes. During the summer of 1897 Institutes were held in 24 counties under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture. By invita-tion of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Experiment Station participated in this work, and, with few exceptions, had some rep-resentative present at every institute. Good has doubtless been accomplished by our efforts to reach, in person, the farmers of the State. It is to be hoped that as the years go by the people of North Carolina will more fully appreciate this important means of stimulating thought along agricultural lines, and that they will give the representatives of the Station an opportunity of forming their acquaintance. Correspondence. Next after publications, the most important agency for bringing the Station into contact with the people of the State is through correspondence. The letters amount to about ten thousand annu-ally, in addition to the requests received for publications. These letters contain queries of almost every conceivable nature in regard to agriculture. Although the labor involved in replying to these numerous letters makes heavy demands upon the time of the staff, it is felt that the number of the letters is an indication of high ap-preciation of what is being accomplished. It is a matter of pleasure, apart from duty, to aid the agricultural interests of the State in this way. The answers to the letters of greatest general interest are published in the Bulletin. Feeding Experiments. Some time ago the Experiment Station undertook the study of the digestibility of various stock-feeds used in the State. This work is still in progress. During the period embraced by this Re-port, experiments were made on the digestibility of crab-grass hay, cow-pea meal, corn bran, green rape and rice bran. A pig-feeding experiment was also terminated. Testing For Tuberculosis. During the year 1897 Tuberculosis made its appearance in the Experiment Station herd. By the Tuberculin test six animals were condemned and slaughtered. Some of the animals were very valua-ble, and their slaughtering resulted, of course, in much loss to the Station. While the necessity for slaughtering was a matter of regret, it is felt that the wide publicity given to it served to call attention to danger of Tuberculosis in a rather emphatic way, and the result accomplished, in arousing the public interest, has been very gratifying to the Station. Although the Tuberculin test XXli N - c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. is recognized in many States, yet there are those who express donbt in regard to its reliability as an indication of the presence of Tu-berculosis. But, notwithstanding this, information is wanting as to one who is willing to drink milk from cattle which have been condemned by the Tuberculin test, unless the milk has first been pasteurized or sterilized. During the past year the Station has made tests of various herds in the State, and now some of the stock raisers advertise the fact that their cattle do not react with the Tuberculin test. It seems that the sentiment in favor of the test is growing. The Station will continue to agitate the matter, feeling that the condemnation of Tuberculous cattle by this test cannot fail to result in the im-provement of the health of the people. Field Crop Tests. Upon the Experiment Farm, during the past year, some variety tests were made with potatoes. The Station also made some tests with peanuts, cow-peas, velvet-beans, hemp, soiling crops and crim-son clover. Poultry Keeping. In the poultry work such cheap appliances were used as could be made by any one raising poultry under the ordinary farm condi-tions. The poultry experiments for 1897 were aimed to be with pure bred instead of cross bred fowls. Hatching and rearing, both artifically and naturally, noting cost, and health of various breeds un-der different conditions, were to receive careful attention. Unfortu-nately, however, the reports were destroyed by fire, and there is a much smaller number of results for publication than would be otherwise. Feeding experiments were conducted with the various breeds and a careful record kept of the cost, health, etc. Some disease experiments have been made on birds belonging to others. Horticultural Experiments. On account of the co-operative experiments of the Station at Southern Pines, a large part of the work of the Horticultural Divi-sion was transferred to that place from Raleigh, and the larger part of the work of the Horticulturist has been as Horticulturist of the Supervising Committee. In addition to this co-operative work, however, a small portion of land was leased at Southern Pines, and experiments have been made upon it. Among these would be men-tioned some co-operative work with the United States Department of Agriculture in determining the difference in some species of trees from the seeds collected in different altitudes and climates, in the growing of flowering bulbs for market, and in the variety tests of melons. Some variety tests with lettuces have been made. At- TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. XXlii tention has been called to the use of glass in market-gardening. Experiments have been made in forcing tomatoes and snap-beans. Botanical Investigations. Experiments were begun with edible and poisonous mushrooms and on the medicinal plants of the State with a view to cultivating and improving them. Tests were also begun of various forage, fibre and economic plants. The Station is endeavoring to complete its herbarium collection of the native plants of the State. During the summer the Assistant Botanist will be engaged in this work in Western North Carolina. A bulletin has been issued containing a list of the medicinal plants which have been collected and used in the State. It is hoped this bulletin will prove valuable as a record. Entomological Work. In January, 1897, this Station called attention of the people to the appearance of the dreaded San Jose scale in the State. Means were suggested for its destruction and for preventing its spreading. In connection with the Commission for Controlling Crop Pests, the ' Entomologist of this Station made an inspection during the spring-and fall of 1897 of the nurseries of the State. Many specimens of twigs infested with various insect pests have been forwarded to the Station. These have been identified and remedies suggested when known. Experimental Chemical Work. The Chemical Division has worked jointly with the Agricultural Division in studying the coefficients of the digestibility of various feeding-stuffs. This division has made the analyses of the fer-tilizers used, and of the fruit and vegetable products of the Expe-rimental Farm at Southern Pines. It has also made analyses of referees' samples for the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. Further investigation was made upon the volumetric method for the estimation of phosphoric acid. Investigations are in progress as to the extent of the adulteration of human foods and the adaptability of the soil and climate of the State to the culture of the sugar-beet. Fertilizer Control Analyses. On account of the increasing number of brands of the fertilizers licensed for sale in the State, and of the increased consumption of fertilizers in the State, the demands upon this division have con-siderably increased. The samples of fertilizers are taken under the supervision of the Commissioner of Agriculture and sent to the Station in sealed glass bottles, bearing a number by which the xxiv N- c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. sample is identified. The analyses are completed with all the dis-patch consistent with accuracy, and the result reported to the Com-missioner. The Commissioner of Agriculture publishes the results at frequent intervals in the Bulletin. Analyses of Samples for the Public There is no appropriation from any source to provide for the analyses of samples for the public, and this work is not in any sense a part of the regular work of the Station. The Station, how-ever, is very glad, as a matter of courtesy, in this way to serve the public, where the work does not conflict in any way with the regular work of the Station, where the work is of an agricultural char-acter, the results of general interest, and the Station is free to pub-lish the results. During the period embraced by the Report anal-yses were made of many samples of waters for the Board of Health to test their purity and adaptibility for drinking purposes, of vari-ous fertilizing materials, feeding-stuffs, and other miscellaneous samples. Acknowledgments. The Station takes pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of the books and pamphlets, journals and newspapers stated below. The reports and bulletins of the United States Department of Agricul-ture, and of various Experiment Stations in the different States, Canada and abroad are not included in the list, but are regularly received. Commissioner of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y. Reports Vol. i, 2 and 3. Minnesota Dairy and Food Commissioner, St. Paul. Biennial Report 1895-1896. Dr. Chas. W. Dabney, Jr., Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Washington D. C. A National Department of Science. Prof. H. McCalley, University, Ala. Report on Valley Regions of Alabama. Dr. J. A. Lintner, State Entomologist, Albany, N. Y. nth Annual Report. Prof. A. Williams, New Castle, England. Rrport on Manurial Trial at New Castle-upon-Tyne, England. George McKerron, Superintendent Wisconsin Farmers' Institutes, Madison. Bulletin No. 10. Leland Stanford, Jr. University, California. Contributions to Biology from Hopkins Seaside Laboratory. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pa. Proceedings of Society. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg. Bulletins 16 and 17. Prof. C. Cobb, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C. Some Begin-nings in Science. University of Iowa, Iowa City. Laboratory Bulletin No. 1. American Museum of Natural History, New York City. Vol. 8, 1898. New York State Board of Health, Albany. Report for 1896. New York Botanical Garden, New York City. Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2. Institution for Deaf, Dumb and Blind. Raleigh, N. C. Report for i894-'96. Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. Bulletins Nos. 5, 10, n and 12. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. Report for 1894. Report of National Museum, 1894. Secretary of Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass. Annals of Astronomical Ob-servatory, Vol. 30, Part 4. Report of Director of Observatory. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORTS. xxv Miscellaneous Papers, 1888-1895. William Wood & Company, New York City. American Fruit Culturist. Royal Agricultural Society, London, England. Journal of Society, Vol. 8, Part I . Department of Interior, Washington, D. C. Eleventh Census. Farms and Homes. Statistics, Vital and Social. Department of Agriculture, Ontario, Canada. Report for 1895. California Dairy Bureau, San Francisco. Report for 1895-1896. Prof. T. Jamieson, Aberdeen, Scotland. Proceedings Agricultural Research Association for 1896. C. C. Gregg, Superintendent Minnesota Farmers' Institutes, Minneapolis. Re-port for 1896. Superintendent of Farmers' Institutes, Ontario, Canada. Report for i895-'96. Prof. T. Winter, Bangor, North Wales. Report on Field Experiments, 1895. Dr. J. P. Hale, Charleston, W. Va. History and Mystery of the Kanawha Valley . Hon. B. R. Lacy, Raleigh, N. C. North Carolina Bureau of Labor Statistics. Report for 1896. Society of Natural History, Cincinnati, Ohio. Journal No. 2. Maine State Board of Health, Augusta. Report for 1896. California Board of Horticulture, Sacramento. Fifth Biennial Report. Kansas State Horticultural Society, Topeka. Transactions of Society. Wisconsin Dairymens' Association, Madison. 25th Annual Report. Minister of Agriculture, Paris, France. Bulletins 1896. Papers and Journals Outside the State. Agricultural Epitomist Indianapolis, Ind. Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales Sydney, Australia. Agricultural South Atlanta, Ga. American Agriculturist New York, N. Y. American Dairyman New York, N. Y. American Farmer Washington, D. C. American Grange Bulletin and Scientic Farmer Cincinnati, Ohio. American Swineherd Chicago, 111. Baltimore Sun (weekly) Baltimore, Md. California Cultivator and Poultry Keeper Los Angeles, Cal. Elgin Dairy Report Elgin, 111. Farm and Home Springfield, Mass. Farm and Home Melbourne, Australia. F'arm and Fireside Springfield, Ohio. Farm, Field and Fireside . Chicago, 111. Farm Magazine Knoxville, Tenn. Farmers' Advocate ; Burlington, Vt. Farmers' Advocate '. London, Ontario. Farmers' Guide Huntington, Ind. Farmers' Home. Dayton, Ohio. Farmers' Magazine Springfield, III. Gleanings in Bee Culture Medina, Ohio. Hoard's Dairyman Fort Atkinson, Wis. Home and Farm .* Louisville, Ky. Homestead Des Moines, Iowa. Hospodar . ; Omaha, Neb. Indiana Farmer Indianapolis, Ind. Industrial American Lexington, Ky. Louisiana Planter New Orleans, La. Mirror and Farmer Manchester, N. H. Montana Fruit Grower Missoula, Mont. National Dairyman and Messenger Kansas City, Mo. National Stockman and Farmer Pittsburg, Pa. New England Florist Boston, Mass. Northwest Horticulturist Tacoma, Wash. New York Weekly Witness New York, N. Y. Ohio Farmer , ^ Cleveland, Ohio. Practical Farmer Philadelphia, Pa. Xxvi N- c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Progressive South Richmond, Va. Public Ledger . Philadelphia, Pa. Rural Californian Los Angeles, Cal. Southern Cultivator Atlanta, Ga. Southern Farmer New Orleans, La. Sugar Beet Philadelphia, Pa. Swine Breeders' Journal Indianapolis, Ind. The Western Creamery San Francisco, Cal. The Wool Record New York, N. Y. Tobacco Leaf New York, N. Y. Trade Journal Baltimore, Md. Wallace Farmer Ames, Iowa. Weekly Times Melbourne, Australia. Papers Received From Inside the State. Alamance Gleaner (Graham). Morganton Herald. Asheville Citizen. North Carolina Baptist (Fayetteville). Beaufort Herald. North Carolina Medical Journal ( Wil- Bulletin North Carolina Board of Health mington). (Raleigh). Progressive Farmer (Raleigh). Caucasian (Raleigh). Roanoke News (Weldon). Charlotte Democrat. Salisbury Watchman. Concord Times. Statesville Landmark. Economist-Falcon (Elizabeth City). Sylvan Valley News (Brevard);. Eastern Reflector. Tarboro Southerner. Free Press (Kinston). The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck). Greensboro Record. Truckers' Journal (Chadbourn). Henderson Gold Leaf. Washington Gazette. Hickory Press. Western Sentinel (Winston). Messenger and Intelligencer (Wades- Wilson Mirror. boro). Wilson Times. Monroe Enquirer. Yankee Settler (Southern Pines). Conclusion. The work of the past year is completed and speaks for itself. It has been accomplished under somewhat difficult conditions, but with an earnest desire to advance to as great an extent as possible the agricultural interests of the State. The Acting Director was invited by the Board of Trustees to preside over the affairs of the Station without any knowledge on his part that such action was contemplated. The action, therefore, is all the more complimentary, and the Acting Director is highly appreciative of this distinguished mark of confidence. He also wishes to express his deep sense of obligation to the President of the College upon whose wisdom and counsel he has so largely re-lied ; and to the other members of the Station staff whose co-opera-tion has been given so cordially. He desires further to acknowledge the help received from the previous publications of the Station. These have been freely used in the preparation of this Report. The reports of the chiefs of the various divisions of the Station are appended hereto as a part of this Report. Very respectfully, W. A. WITHERS, Acting Director. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxvii REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL DIVISION. Acting Director W. A. WITHERS. Sir: The work of this Division went on to May in harmony with the order which has been previonsly reported. A pig-feed-ing experiment, begun in the fall of 1896, was completed early in June, 1897, and the results have been published in Bulletin 143. The digestion feeding was continued tip to August, 1897. There were seven experiments successfully (except one) completed : Crab-grass hay alone. Peanut hull and waste. Failure, sheep would not eat the material. Crab-grass, hay and cowpea meal, for digestibility of the meal. Crab-grass hay and corn bran, for digestibility of the bran. Green rape, in June and July, first cutting. Green rape in July, second cutting. Crab-grass hay and rice bran, for digestibility of the bran. Publications during the year from this Division have been: Comfortable Low-Cost Barns, Bulletin No. 142; 18 pp. Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, etc., Bulletin No. 143; 33 PP-Crimson Clover, Bulletin No. 145; 18 pp. Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin, Bulletin No. 146; 16 pp. The correspondence for this year amounts to upward of 750 copy-book pages, and relate mainly to general farming and live stock matters. Some of this matter appears from time to time in The Bulletin. Some time has been spent at the Farmers' Institues with Com-missioner Patterson in the early part of the year, and in the spring and summer with Dr. D. Reid Parker, who was the official representative of the Board of Agriculture in the conduct of In-stitute work after his election for that purpose by the Board. In July, 1897, the Agriculturist attended the meeting of the Association of American Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, held in Minneapolis, Minn., representing the Station and College in that body. A partial report of some observations on that trip were made public through The Built t n for October, 1897. Early in May, 1897, a second test of stock for tuberculosis was conducted. One cow had been quarantined several months pre-viously, and there was some reason to fear the disease had been communicated to other members of the herd. xxviii N- c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. This was verified by the test, and it was agreed by the Director and Agriculturist that it would be best to slaughter every animal which reacted, the physical condition of which left no doubt of the reaction being due to the disease Tuberculosis. There were several pregnant animals reserved for tests after parturition. Dr. D. E. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Washington, D. C, was consulted by letter and requested to send an expert to us for detailed consultation and examinations. Dr. Salmon responded favorably and detailed Dr. A. D. Melvin, who came and examined a number of animals and conducted a post-mortem examination on two cows, which were the most advanced cases. Dr. Melvin advised waiting about four weeks, and then re-testing the herd, when we could decide more accurately which of the cows should be slaughtered. This was done, and six cows condemned. There were two others apparently in good health, but which had reacted. These were noted by Dr. E. E. Terry, who, with Dr. W. C. McMackin, made this test, and conducted the post-mortem examinations, to have been in gestrum when undergoing the test, which may indicate that a re-test might have cleared those heifers, but they were yielding little milk, were fat, and were worth as much for beef then as could be expected from them at any time, if not diseased, so it was decided to include these in the herd to be slaughtered, and then to put these two on the market. The post-mortem examination confirmed Dr. Terry's observation, and no disease could be found. Evidence of the disease was found in all the cows except the two heifers, and they were both " passed as good for food " by Drs. Terry and McMackin. But sale of these carcasses was forbidden by the City Board of Health officials, on the ground that they came from a diseased herd, and a city statute forbids such. All the animals were deeply buried, with free use of quicklime, and lime was scattered round over the land where the burials were made. This city ordinance should be repealed and replaced by one more consistent with the public welfare. As it stands it is im-possible that it can be reasonably enforced, and in any case like the one detailed above, where animals are rigidly examined and found to be healthy, the carcasses should be used. This would be some encouragement to owners of herds to test out disease, but if the finding of a diseased animal is to be the signal for a boy-cott of a herd, the diseased ones will not be hunted out ; or, if found, the facts will be concealed for self interest, and the public will continue blindly to take risks, which no amount of persuasion could induce if presented openly, with dairy products and meats. Thorough inspection of animals and meat is the only safeguard, TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xxix and the sooner these are recognized and honored, the sooner will the food products on the markets be what they should be—far above suspicion. To place a herd on this high ground is to make it plain by tests that no disease is harbored in it, and to keep away from it all strange cattle until quarantined and tested. Failure in this re-spect cost the Experiment Station this outbreak of tuberculosis. Since the Station herd was examined and so large a proportion found affected,* the herd at the College has been examined, and although in May, 1897, when the Station herd were examined,, this herd was believed to be intact, even more disease was found in it than existed in the Station herd. This herd has been vigor-ously tested and all diseased animals removed. The grades of low value were all slaughtered (fourteen in number), and the six pure-bred animals, five cows and one bull, quarantined in order to raise healthy calves, which can be done, and the old stock replaced by healthy young ones. During the fall and early winter some feeding experiments were conducted with cows and heifers in milk. Mr. Johnson did the testing of milk in addition to his teaching. The time of the Agriculturist during the fall term was pretty fully occupied with teaching. Stock on hand December 31, 1897: One two-year-old Shorthorn bull, two mature common cows,. two Shorthorn heifers, coming three years old, two Shorthorn bulls coming one year old, six heifers just past two years old, and all giving milk, viz.: One grade Polled Angu>?, two grade Jersey, one grade Shorthorn, one Native, one registered Jersey, three year-ling heifers, all grade Shorthorns, one yearling Jersey bull, one six-months- old grade Jersey heifer, two steers coming three years old, four calves as follows: One Jersey (pure bred), three grade Short-horns ; seven driving horses. Sheep.—Total number, 44, as follows : One Merino ram and three ewes, all registered; one Horned Dorset ram and one ewe, registered ; one Southdown ram, no ewes, registered ; one Shrop-shire ram, no ewes, registered ; three wethers, used in digestion experiments ; thirty-three native and grade ewes. During 1898 the feeding experiments have been continued. The testing of cows the latter part of 1897 led to post-mortem of one cow and one steer early in January. The heifers now in milk are to be quarantined and subjected to cattle-ticks this summer. These have also reacted, and they can be examined later for tu-berculosis, whether they have Texas fever or not. The manuscript for one Bulletin on Digestion Experiments has been finished and is ready for publication. *Six of the eight cows killed were tuberculous, as was one cow retained for a later test ; also. one steer, two bull calves and several heifer calves, which are under surveilance. XXX N- C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. There are a few field experiments under way. There are two plats with cotton, comparison of two varieties ; potato varieties : 93 varieties of potatoes are planted, using three rates of seed in nine hills of each variety. Peanuts—A trial to find if any influence on productiveness can be discovered by planting trie meats which are produced within one, two, three or four-celled pods. Other legumes.—Cowpea : Several varieties from seed grown here and one from L'lle de la Rennion, with several other inter-esting members of this family, Soy Bean and Velvet Beans. The field north of the farm building, which for several years has been in pasture, has been plowed and planted in soiling crops, which it is hoped will prove a practical experiment. The whole field is devoted to this test except the sheep-shed and yards and a plat for the potato experiment. Hemp is being gi own on a small plat. Corn will be the principal crop for the silo, whilst the cowpea and other plants must be cultivated for soiling, recuperating the soil, and for hay. The terraces now growing rye for seed, and which have a fine crop on them, will be used for forage plats when rye comes off. A very light crop of crimson clover hay has been cut and the crown of the hilltop reserved for seed. The yield is not a third of what might have been expected from the "stand" and area. This is ascribed to the exceedingly dry winter and spring. Much time has be« n consumed in teaching this year, and ex-perimental work cannot have the time and attention we have been accustomed to give, hence some experiments well under way fail of results Thus the feeding experiments with cows have been entrusted to the foreman and milker. The student milker has been found capable of doing any convenient thing which sug-gested itself at the moment, and one needs to be conversant with the facts to give any weight to his words. Therefore, since this man was entrusted with any part of the records the result is worth little or nothing, experimentally. Improvements needed are, first, and above all, a water supply for the dairy-engine and house. This, it seems, can be had from a spring on the northwest corner of the Experiment Farm. A hy-draulic ram can be employed to force up the water at less expense than for a pump and wind-mill. An underground cool room east of dairy is yery much needed for experimental use. That is, to show such a room, get at best con-struction, and to find what the advantage of the underground room is in amount of reduction of temperature. Recent additions to stock and tools are : TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xxxi i pair of draft horses and harness. i clod ci usher. i hand-power sheep-shearer. Stock on hand May ist, 1898, twenty-four cattle as follows : 1 two-year-old Shorthorn bull. 1 aged common cow. 2 two-year-old Shorthorn cows. 6 heifers, two years old and past, as in other reports. 3 heifers, one year old and past, grade, Shorthorns. 1 heifer, one year old, grade, Jersey. 3 cow calves. 1 grade Shorthorn. 2 Shorthorns. 1 grade Shorthorn bull calf. 1 yearling Shorthorn bull. 1 driving horse. 1 work horse. 1 work mare. Sheep on hand : 4 rams, Merino, Horned Dorset, Southdown, Shropshire. 3 native wethers. 4 ewes registered : One Dorset and three Merinos. 32 breeding native and grade ewes. 25 lambs. The report of the Poultry Section is given below. Very respectfully, Frank E. Emery, Agriculturist. REPORT OF POULTRY SECTION FOR 1897. Prof. F. E. Emery, Chief of Agricultural Division. During the fall of 1896 all yards of fowls were mated as pure breds, and a line of feeding experiments, with grown fowls, arti-ficial hatching and breeding against natural methods, and disease experiments, were outlined for the work of 1897, together with the incidental work as it appeared. With the burning of my home in April, 1897, a^ previous records were destroyed, which necessitated another beginning. After cor-responding with numerous poultry authorities, the following work was decided upon : Comparison of breeds for general purpose. Comparison of breeds for egg production. Comparative cost of feeding different breeds. Determining the proper feed for different breeds, amount, etc. XXxii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Artificial hatching and brooding, vs. natural methods. Cheap appliances necessary in the poultry yards. Experiments with diseases and vermin. Incidental experiments as they are presented and opportunity allows. Experiments on moulting fowls for exhibition purposes. It was thought best to begin the year about July 12th, as at that period the moulting season begins with us, i. e. in this climate. Twelve yards were then mated and monthly records kept of feed given, eggs produced, etc. With the aid furnished by you much valued information as to analysis of different feeds, etc., results have been very gratifying. The health of both old and young fowls has been remarkably good. The interest by the general public in the Poultry Section has been great, so far as I am able to judge by visitors, both from the immediate vicinity, from different portions of this State and from other States. Owing to having no experienced aid, the routine of outside work has necessitated my absence from office to such an extent that writ-ing bulletins has been out of the question. In addition to regular duties the undersigned was called upon to attend several Farmers' Institutes in various counties, to take the photographs of growing crops at Southern Pines, and to judge the Poultry Departments of serveral fairs*. The interest all through the State in better poultry and more of it is large, numerous parties adding pure breeds and discarding mongrels. The report for 1898 will contain a much greater volume of business done, as the loss of the records caused the Division to be put back one sea-son, as after that time it was too late to begin another line of spring work. During the year several new yards and houses were built, including a four brooder-house, 27 feet long, with four yards each 10 x 40 feet. The quality of the breeding stock has been much improved. Respectfully, F. E. HEGE, Poultry Manager. POULTRY SECTION FOR FIRST HALF OF 1898. During the first half year January 1st to June 30th, 1898, the principal work of the Poultry Section was done in continuation of the experiments with breeds outlined above. The feeding seemed to develop some differences among the birds in some pens which seemed rather to indicate differences of age and maturity in the same yard and for several yards. Mr. Hege has not reported on this half year, hence this note. Frank E. Emery, Agriculturist, Chief of Division of Agriculture. *Burlington, Oak Grove and Raleigh, and worked up the Asheville Poultry .Show, where 1,688 fowls were brought together from eleven States. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxiil REPORT OF THE CHEMICAL AND FERTILIZER CONTROL DIVISIONS. During the half year ending June 30, 1897, the chemical work was performed under the direction of Dr. H. B. Battle, and is as follows : ^Samples for the Southern Pines Farm. Fertilizers and fertilizing materials 8 Irish potatoes, tubers, tops, etc 45 Grape vine primings 1 45 Sweet potatoes, tubers, vines, etc <>2 Cucumbers, vines, etc S Tomatoes and vines 2 Cabbage 3 Beans 20 Strawberry vines 29 Corn and corn cobs 40 6b i Official Samples for the Fertilizer Control. Fertilizer samples 396> Samples for the Public Fertilizing materials 9 Marls. ... 4 Agricultural lime 2 Tobacco 10 Tobacco dust 1 Tobacco stems 1 Miscellaneous fertilizers 7 Health waters 22 Mineral waters 16 Boiler water 1 Mill sweepings 1 Peanut meal 1 Rock 2 Ores, minerals and rocks identified and values reported 48 -— 125 Total for the half year ending June 30, 1897 878 During the year ending June 30, 1898, the following analyses were completed : Experimental Samples. For association of official chemists phosphoric samples 7 For the association of official agricultural chemists nitrogen samples . . 3 Fodders and feeding stuffs 34 Health waters . 26 Tobacco leaves 1 Irish potatoes 23 Commercial fertilizers and fertilizing material 13 Sugar J —(54 171 Official Fertilizer Samples. • Acid phosphates. 139 Acid phosphate with potash 52 Ammoniated superphosphates 325 Miscellaneous ' 39 553: *A large part of the Southern Pines work was done during the summer and fall of 1S96, but the analyses were not completed until after January 1st, 1897. XXxiv N - c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. Samples for the Public. Health waters .' 109 Mineral waters 37 Phosphatic lime 1 Lime 1 Cotton-seed meal 3 Commercial fertilizers 10 Marl 10 Ashes 1 Deposit from pump 1 Fire clay '. 2 Brick clay 4 Boiler scale 1 Worm dust 1 Cider 1 Bran 1 Fish scrap 1 Identifications of minerals, ores, etc , 271 Total for the year ending June 30, 1898 '. . 995 The principle lines of work of this Division are as follows : The Southern Pines Work.—This consists of the analysis of the fertilizing materials used on the Experiment Farm, together with analysis of the various products of the farm, with a view . to ascer-tain the exact amount of fertilizers added to the different crops, the amount removed by them and the effects of the various fertilizers. Digestion Experiments.—This work is carried on in conjunction with the Agricultural Division. This series of experiments was begun some years ago by the Chemical Division, through Mr, Kil-gore, former Assistant Chemist, and the Agriculturist, Professor Emery. Health Analysis of Waters.—This Division has instituted, and is now carrying on some experiments with a view to ascertaining some of the of the sources of error in the health analysis of water. .Experiments with Sugar Beets.—During the spring of 1898, at the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, communicated through the Chemist of the Department, the Experiment Station distributed a large quantity of sugar-beet seeds, with a view to ascertain if the conditions in the State were favorable to the growth of the beet. In addition to the seeds received through the Secretary, a large quantity was received from the German Kali Works. Previous experiments have been made by the Station along this line. Work for the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists.— This Division has co-operated each year with the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, in making the analysis of some of the samples sent out by the referees, with a view to testing meth-ods and improvements suggested. Mr. Kilgore, previously an as-sistant in this Division, proposed a method for the volume estima-tion of phosphoric acid. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. XXXV Extent of Food Adulteration.—The General Assembly of 1895 enacted a law making the adulteration or misbranding of articles of food a misdemeanor, and prescribed a penalty for the sune, but no one was charged with the duty of executing the law. This Di-vision has undertaken an investigation as to the extent to which adulteration is practiced with some of the more common articles of food, such as sugar, coffee, tea, flour, baking-powders and vinegar. The samples were purchased in the open market. Analyses for the Fertilizer Control.—There is an increasing number of brands of fertilizer registered for sale in North Carolina each year and in consequence there is an increasing demand upon this Division. During the past year and a half analyses were made of 949 samples, taken under the direction of the Commis-sioner of Agriculture by the official inspectors from lots on sale in the State. Analyses of some of the samples were made in dupli-cate. This Division realizes the importance of this work to the farmers of the State and endeavors to complete the analyses with as great rapidity, and accuracy as care will permit. Analyses for the Public.—No appropriation is made by the State providing for analyses by this Station of samples for the public. The Station is very glad, however, to do this work as a matter of courtesy, where it does not intefere with the regular work of the Station, where it is of an agricultural character, where the Station's directions are followed in regard to the sending the samples, and where the Station is free to publish the results. During the past year and a half, analyses were made of 366 samples for the public, 131 being drinking waters, with a view to ascertaining if they were suitable for drinking purposes. The remaining samples con-sist of fertilizer materials and other miscellaneous samples. Very respectfully, W. A. Withers, Chemist. REPORT OF THE DIVISIONS OF HORTICULTURE, BOTANY AND ENTOMOLOGY. Prof. W. A. Withers, Acting Director. I herewith present the report for these Divisions of the Station for the past year and a half. Horticulture. The Horticultural work of the Station has mainly been carried on at Southern Pines, in connection with the Committee in charge of the experimental work done in connection with the State Horti-cultural Society and the German Kali Works. The practical su-pervision of the work for this Committee* has been placed in the hands of Mr. Rhodes and myself, by the action of the Committee, xxxvi N - c - AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. and the sub-position of Horticulturist to this Committee has been assigned to me. Heretofore this work has fallen to me simply as ex-officio to my duties as Station Horticulturist, and has been re-garded as the Horticultural department of the Station, as experi-mental work at Raleigh was necessarily abandoned to a great extent by the removal of Mr. Rhodes, my personal assistant, to Southern Pines, and his appointment as Resident Superintendent for the Committee. With my assistant at Southern Pines, it was neces-sary that all of the Horticultural work should be concentrated there. Hence, for the purposes of this work, outside the work for the Supervising Committee, it was necessary that land should be provided for my purposes as Station Horticulturist alone. This was accomplished by the former Director leasing another piece of land adjoining that of the Committee, to be under the sole man-agement of the Station Horticulturist for experimental work in general. On this land I have begun, in connection with the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture at Washing-ton, a series of experiments in the growth of forest trees from seed collected in the various states entering into the experiment. The object of these experiments is to determine the differences in the same species of trees from seeds collected in different latitudes and climates. Seeds of the same species are sent to us which are col-lected in states from Iowa and Nebraska to Florida, a ad the same seeds are collected here and sent to the other States engaged in the work. The scheme has not been fully carried out by reason of the difficulty in getting seeds of all the the trees every year in all the States. Failure of the seed crop here resulted in no seeds being collected in North Carolina last year. I have, however, received seed from several states, and the plants grown a year ago from the various seed samples have been transplanted and studied. It is proposed to carry on this work for a number of years. Bulb Culture.—There has been, for some years past, a growing interest in the capacity of our soil and climate for the production of the various bulbs used so extensively by our florists in the forc-ing of winter flowers. Experiments which I have been conduct-ing for several years have demonstrated that we can produce here, to great perfection, many bulbs that are now imported from Europe. Few people who are not familiar with the trade in these things,, realize its magnitude, and the enormous amount of money sent abroad annually for their purchase, most of which might be kept at home with profit to our growers. The fine quality of the bulbs I have shown in New York attracted the attention of the importers and dealers in these things, and all of them declare that they had rather come to North Carolina for their supplies than go to France, Holland and Italy for them. Additional attention has lately been drawn to this matter by the failure of the lily crop of a certain kind grown in Bermuda and Japan, from a serious disease which TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxvii renders the bulbs worthless for forcing. The Department at Wash-ington lately sent a special agent, Mr. M. G. Kains, to confer with me, and to visit the section of the State where other bulbs have been grown, so that a report on the subject could be made up and published. The point to be decided is whether we can, in this climate, ripen the Bermuda lily early enough for the early forcing in autumn, and whether we can succeed in growing the bulbs clear of the disease. I have commenced to experiment with this lily and hope to continue it, with the aid of bulbs sent by the Depart-ment, and have some confidence in a favorable result, as the bulbs already grown seem to be more healthy, and to ripen early enough. With another lily, the Lilium Candidum, which is also used largely for Easter forcing, we have demonstrated that we can produce them much superior to those imported from France, and there has been no difficulty in selling at a remunerative price all that we have grown in a small way, and the demand for these is such that we could, this season, have sold a million if we had had them, as the dealers North are competing with each other for our L/ilium Can-didum bulbs. The chief difficulty here in the way of the develop-ment of the bulb industry, aside from a lack of experience and skill, is the lack of means among the growers. Most of these bulbs are different from the tuberose, which has been so largely grown in the eastern section of the State, in the fact that it takes from three to five years to get a marketable crop, and the first investment for stock does not give any return until the product is made. Hence inexperienced men hesitate to invest. Of course, after the business is well under way, there would be an annual crop, but at first there must be a considerable outlay for stock and a period of waiting for results, with constant expenditure for labor and caring for the product. In the culture of the tuberose, the growers plant the sets in the spring and harvest the crop the same autumn, but this can-not be done with lilies and hyacinths. If it can be once demon-strated that there is a large profit in growing bulbs on a commer-cial scale, and men who understand the work are gotten through the State, the dealers in the Northern cities will be ready to fur-nish the stock and wait for returns. But they need be assured that the returns will be at hand, and hence the necessity for skilled men. I would gladly go among the growers and instruct them in the management of the bulbs, if means are at hand for the purpose and the work is undertaken on a scale to warrant it. I have never yet had means enough at my disposal or land for the purpose, to fully test the matter on a commercial scale. It is evident that the soil at Raleigh is better suited to these things than that at South-ern Pines, and the work hereafter will be done here. Melons.—I regret that the experiment with a great variety of melons sent by the Department at Washington, proved a total fail-ure at Southern Pines, owing to the peculiarity of the season, which XXXVlii N- c- AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. at first was so dry that in that sandy soil many died outright and the remainder were damaged by the heavy scalding rains that suc-ceeded the drought after the fruit had formed. As these seeds were collected in a new region of Central Asia, we were in hopes of getting some of value from the lot. If seed can be had again the experiment will be repeated at Raleigh under more favorable con-ditions. Co-operative Work at Southern Pines.—The extensive series of experiments inaugurated by the committee at Southern Pines have been conducted with zeal and fidelity by my assistant, Mr. Rhodes, who by training and experience is well fitted for the work But as this work will be specially reported on by the Committee, there is no need for further notice of it here. Forcing of Vegetables.—During the two winters past we have experimented to some extent in the culture of tomatoes, under glass, as a winter crop. Enough has been shown by these experiments to prove that the forcing of vegetables under glass, in heated glass structures, can be made more profitable here than in the North, where it is being so largely and profitably practiced. Our abounding sun-shine even, in our coldest winter weather, gives us a great advan-tage, and the smaller consumption of coal should give a wider margin of profit here than in the North. 1 have in preparation a bulletin on the use of glass in market-gardening, which I hope to have out shortly. There has been of late a great deal of interest mani-fested in the winter crop of lettuce grown for the Northern mar-kets in the eastern part of the State. Most of the growers still use for this crop frames covered with cotton cloth, which is at best a poor substitute for glass. I have tried to convince them that glass is far better and in the long run cheaper than cloth, and there is a disposition to try the glass. When they once begin to use glass and become skillful in its handling, the transition from a cold frame covered with glass sashes to a heated green-house is easy, and the future success of market gardening in Eastern North Carolina depends largely on the use of glass, just as the competition of the far South has compelled the northern growers to make a greater use of glass, and thus to furnish bet-ter products and sell them at better rates than the products from the open ground in Florida. I have sold tomatoes here in direct competition with those from Florida for double the price of the Florida product, by reason of the superior quality of those grown under glass. Botanical. During the coming summer the Herbarium of the Station will be enriched by a collection of native plants both from the section around Raleigh and from the mountain section of the State, TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT, xxxix where my Assistant, Mr. C. W. Hyams, will spend his vacation in making collections. He has been getting together a very large collection of fungi, both edible and poisonous, which it is proposed to exhibit permanently in preservative fluids. These collections will be o^ great use in the identification of specimens sent to us, and for exchange with other collections, so that from the duplicate plants collected we can enrich the Herbarium with the species of other states by exchange with collectors. Mr. Hyams has air o prepared and published a bulletin containing a list of the plants that have been collected and sold in this state for medicinal purposes, and this has been highly commended. We have during the year made numerous identifications of plants and grasses from correspondents in all parts of the State, and there seems to be a greater interest in the native grasses, many of which can be cultivated with profi . The Velvet Bean, which has been much talked about as a forage plant in the far South, has been tested here, and it seems evident that it will succeed here, and in a favorable st a^on wi 1 ripen a fair crop if planted not later than the 1 ist of April. Whether it will compete here with the cowpea as a forage plant seems doub'ful, as it takes too long a season, and cannot be used as the cowpea can for sowing after a small grain crop has b en harvested. But from the mass of foliage it makes on poor land, it is evident that it will be of use 'as a means of getting vegetable matter into a worn soil. Entomological. At the meeting of the Board of Trustees last summer, they saw fit to assign to me the work formerly done by the Entomologist. This work included the work of inspection of nurseries for the Commission for Controlling Crop Pests established under the law enacted for the suppression of the San Jose scale and other danger-ous insect pests. I attempted to do this work in the fall of 1897, but finding it required my being absent from Station and College work too long, I wras obliged to give up this part of the work. As it was, I spent over two months at it, without any extra pay, though the Entomologist had formerly been paid a salary of $1,500 per annum for the Entomological work alone. The great interest that has been excited over the spread of the San Jose scale has caused people throughout the state to look more closely ?iter their trees, and I have had numerous letters with specimens for identification, all of which have been answered. A scale insect more widely scat-tered in the state than the San Jose scale, and while less rapid in the destruction it causes, is equally certain to destroy trees, is the Mytilaspis Pomorum—the apple tree bark louse. This insect I found prevailing to an alarming extent in all the best apple sec-tions of the state in the upper Piedmont and mountains beyond. x] N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. the Blue Ridge. The hard scale which invests this insect renders its destruction by spraying difficult, and the only time when it can be killed by spraying to any advantage is when the young insects are coming out in spring. This scale will cause serious losses in Western North Carolina if not checked. The San Jose scale is al-most entirely confined to the Eastern part of the State, and is most prevalent about Southern Pines, Tarboro and a few other points in smaller numbers. ' The gloomy scale was found very abundant on soft maple trees at Durham, but it seems to have succumbed to the fungus disease introduced from Florida, and the trees when last seen were clear of live insects. Iyecanium Persicum was found on one orchard of plums at Southern Pines. This is one of the soft scales, and is more readily subdued by whale-oil soap spraying than some of the other scales. In certain cases the spraying with pure kerosene has been found efficient for the destruction of the San Jose scale, but in other instances the spraying has killed the trees. While a spraying that amounts to a mere, but complete, atomizing may not kill the tree, it is evident that careless work and the use of an overquantity of the oil will do serious harm, and while not always killing, may check the growth and the perfection of the fruit for the season. The old gardners' remedy for all scale insects has long been the solution of whale-oil soap, and it is probable among all the spraying materials recommended there is still none better than this. The use of Hydrocyanic gas is too troublesome, dangerous and expensive for general use, and is more applicable to trees dug and housed for shipment than to those in the open ground. It seems probable that while a strict application of the law prevent-ing infested stock from coming into the state may keep more in-fection out, the fruit-growers of the state have to make up their minds to keep a constant war against all sorts of insects, and the San Jose scale can be held in check. More is to be hoped for from the spread of the fungus disease, which has so reduced the scale in Florida, and which has been shown to thrive here, than from any spraying by individuals while the neighborhood remains infected. Perpetual vigilance is really the price of fruit in the future, and the advent of the San Jose scale only adds another to the forms we have to fight. All of which is respectfully submitted. W. F. Massey, HortiGtilhiTist^ Botanist and Entomologist. TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. xli North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in account with The United States Appropriation. 1897. ' Dr. To receipts from the Treasurer of the United States as per appropriation for fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, as per Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887 $15,000 00 Cr. June 30. By salaries $5,255 13 labor 1,411 00 publications 2,751 10 postage and stationery 759 60 freight and express 389 38 heat, light and water 374 16 chemical supplies 501 23 seeds, plants and sundry supplies 546 49 fertilizers 20 35 feeding-stuffs 826 97 library > • • • • 188 33 tools, implements and machinery 203 05 furniture and fixtures 139 28 scientific apparatus 286 70 live stock 32 30 traveling expenses .... 383 83 contingent expenses 231 10 building and repairs 700 00 Total $15,000 00 1, the undersigned, duly appointed Auditor of the corporation, do hereby certify that I ha.ve examined the books and accounts of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1897 ; that I have found the same well kept and classified as above, and that the receipts for the year from the Treasurer of the United States are shown to have been $15,000, and the corre-sponding disbursements $15,000 ; for all of which proper vouchers are on file and have been by me examined and found correct. And I further certify that the expenditures have been solely for the purposes set forth in the Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. (Signed) T. K. BrunER, Auditor* xlii N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898, North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station in account with The United States Appropriation. 1898. Dr. To receipts from the Treasurer of the United States as per appropriation for fiscal year, ending June 30, 1898, as per Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. $15,000 00 Cr. June 30. By salaries $9,039 96 labor. ..;... 1,151 11 publications 1,427 61 postage and stationer}T 669 63 freight and express 161 40 heat, light and water 6 00 chemical supplies 379 86 seeds, plants and sundry supplies 93 72 fertilizers. 7 44 feeding stuffs 1,028 17 library 145 49 tools, implements and machinery 130 66 furniture and fixtures 89 92 scientific apparatus 5 63 live stock 486 45 traveling expenses 118 90 contingent expenses building and repairs 58 05 Total • $15,000 00 I, the undersigned, duly appointed Auditor of the corporation, do hereby certify that I have examined the books and accounts of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898 ; that I have found the same well kept and classified as above, and that the receipts for the year from the Treasurer of the United States are shown to have been $15,000, and the correspond-ing disbursements $15,000 ; for all of which proper vouchers are on file and have been by me examined and found correct. And I further certify that the expenditures have been solety for the purposes set forth in the Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887. (Signed) J. R. Chamberlain, Auditor. RECENT BULLETINS. The following are some of the recent Bulletins of the Experi-ment Station : No. 70 No. 71 No. 72 No. 73 No. 75 No. 77 No. 78 No. 79 No. 80 No. 8 1 No. 82 No. 83 No. 84 No. 85 No. 86 No. 87 No. 88 No. 89 No. 90 No. 91 No. 93 No. 94 No. 95 No. 96 No. 97 No. 98 No. 99 No. 100. No. 101 No. 102, No 103. No. 104. No 105' No. 106 No. 107 No. 108 No. 109 No. no No. in No. 112 No. 113 No. 114 No. 115 No. 116 No. 117 No. 118 No. 119 No. 120 NO. 121 No. 122 No. 123 Weed Pests of the Farm ; Japan clover, cuts n, pp. 28. Co-operative Field Tests During 1889 ; Hill-side Ditches, cut 1, pp. 32. Work in Horticulture ; Pea- vine Manuring, pp. 16. The best Agricultural Grasses ; plates 74, pp. 100. Fertilizer Analyses; season of 1891, pp. 16. Value of Pea-vine Manuring for Wheat, plate 1, pp. 8. Some Injurious Insects, plates 37 pp. 32. Facts for Farmers, in Plain Language for Farmers' Reading, pp. 24. Silos and Ensilage, pp. 17. Feeding Cotton-seed Hulls and Meal for the Production of Beef, pp. 28. Fertilizer analyses and ihe Fertilizer Control for 1891, pp. 20. Growing Celery in the South ; Cultivatioti of Onions; Notes of Horticul-tural Work During 1891, cuts 2. pp. 20. Some Enemies of Truck and Garden Crops, cuts 32, pp. 26. The Late Crop ot Irish Potatoes in the South, pp. 10. Tobacco Curing by the Leaf Cure on Wire, and the Stalk Processes, pp. 32. All Publications of the Station, from March, 1877, to September, 1892, pp. 20. Fertilizer Analyses and the Fertilizer Control During 1892, pp. 24. Co-operative Field Tests During 1891 and 1892, pp 48. Practical Stock Feeding, pp. 32. Some Experiments in Wheat Culture, pp. 20. Feeding Experiments, pp. 48. Horticultural Tests and Results with Vegetables, Fruits and Bulb Cul-ture, pp. 20. The Fertilizer Control During 1893, PP- 3 2 - Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, Cats 19, pp. 32. Digestion Experiments, Fig. 1. pp 48. Some Leguminous Crops and Their Economic Value, cuts 9, pp. 40. Thread Worm of Pork (Trichina Spiralis), cuts 9, pp. 8. Our Common Insects, cuts 65, pp. 36. The Progress of the Dairy Industry in North Carolina, pp. 8. Encouragement to the Dairy Industry, pp. 12. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, pp. 24. Why Pull Your Corn Fodder? pp 4. The Chestnut and its Weevil : Nut Culture, pp. 1 2. Rational Stock Feeding, pp. 44. Prop gation o£ Flowering Bulbs in North Carolina, plates 24, pp. 24. Seed Testing ; Its Uses and Methods, pp 64. Feeding Trials With Animals, pp. 34 Marls and Phosphate* of North Carolina, pp. 50. The Fertilizer Control During 1894, pp. 26. Trucking in the South, pp. 70. The Testing of Milk, cuts 4, pp. 32. Tests of Dairy Implements and Practices, cuts 4, pp. 32. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, pp. 20. Milk Records and Tests, pp. 16. Tuberculosis and Its Prevention, pp. 20. Cotton Seed Hulls for Beef Production, 4 pages. Volumetic Estimation of Phosphoric Acid, 21 pages. Cultivation of the Peach Tree, 42 cuts, 31 pages. Hillside Terraces or Ditches, 8 cuts, 5 pages. Types of Tobacco and their Analyses. (Technical. ) 35 pages. Miscellaneous Agricultural Topics, 10 pages. xliy N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1898. No. 125. Forage Grasses and Hay Making, 44 cuts, 49 pages, No. 126. Why not Improve your Poultry? 5 pages. No. 128. Pests of Grain Crops. — No. 129. Horticultural Experiments at Southern Pines, 1895, PP- 4-6- No. 130. Poultry Keeping for Profit, 39 cuts, 53 pages. No. 131. Parasites of Poultry, 13 cuts, 11 pages. No. 132. The Home Vegetable Garden and its Pests, 8 cuts, 54 pages. No. 133. Some New Forage Fibre and Other Useful Plants, 2 pages. No. 136. Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control, 34 pages. No. 137. A warning in Regard to Compost Peddlers, 8 pages. No. 138. San Jose Scale in N. C, 1 cut, 14 pages. No. 139. Home-mixed Fertilizers and Composts, 16 pages. No. 140. Volumetric Estimation of Phosphoric Acid, (Technical) 8 pages. No. 141. A New Tobacco Pest, 2 cuts, 8 pages. No. 142. Comfortable Low Cost Barns, 12 cuts, 20 pages. . No. 143. Feeding Experiments, Milk Records, etc., pp. 36. No. 144. Ornithology of North Carolina, pp. 36 No. 145. Crimson Clover, pp. 20. No. 146. Miscellaneous Farm Bulletin, pp. 16. No. 147. A Study of Lettuces, pp. 8. No. 148. Digestion Experiments, po. 32. No. 149. The Apple in North Carolina, pp. 22. No. 150. Medicinal Plants of North Carolina, pp. 84. No. 151. The Fertilizer Control for 1897, pp. 12. Any of the above will be sent cheerfully upon application by Postal Card to the Ditector of the N. C. Agricultural Experiment Station, Raleigh, N. C. Fertilizer Analyses of the Fertilizer Control INCLUDING OFFICIAL ANALYSES OF SPRING AND FALL SAMPLES OF 1896 ISSUED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION RALEIGH, N. C. Bulletin No- 136 January 12, 1897 462 Publications will be sent to any address in North Carolina upon application. N. C. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS. the idtoirtih: o^rolihst-a. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AND THE FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE N. C. STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. W. F. Green, Chairman, Franklinton. W. S. Primrose Raleigh. D. A. Tompkins Charlotte. H. E. Fries Salem. N. B. Broughton Raleigh. R. W. Wharton Washington. J. B. Coffield Everett's W. R. Capeheart Avoca. J. H. Gilmer Greensbero. J. R. McLelland... Mooresville. Cyrus Thompson Richlands. H. E. King Peanut. E. A. Aiken ._ Jeptha. J. L. Nelson. Lenoir. Frank Wood Edenton. STAFF OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION. H. B. Battle, Ph. D Director and State Chemist. F. E. Emery, M. S Agriculturist. Gerald McCarthy, B. So Botanist and Entomologist. W. F. Massey, C. E _ Horticulturist. F. E. Hege Poultry Manager. Consulting Veterinarian. * B. W. Kilgore, M. S Assistant Chemist. W. M. Allen ...Assistant Chemist. H. K. Miller, M. S Assistant Chemist. S. E. Asbury, B. S Assistant Chemist. Alexander Rhodes Assistant Horticulturist. A. F. Bowen Secretary. RALEIGH, N. C 2 FERTILIZER ANALYSES OF THE FERTILIZER CONTROL INCLUDING OFFICIAL ANALYSES OF SPRING AND FALL SAMPLES OF 1896. By H. B. BATTLE, Director. As has has been frequently stated, the work of the Station lies under two heads : 1. The Agricultural Experiment Station. 2. The Fertilizer Control Station. THE FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION. The present bulletin is issued in the interest of the latter, and pre-sents to the people of the State the analyses of samples of fertili-zers taken both in the spring and fall seasons of 1896. It is issued before the opening of the spring season of 1897, in order to give the relative standing of all brands of fertilizers sold in the State, so far as they have been found and sampled. This bulletin is published before the movement in fertilizers has begun for 1897, with a view of affording to purchasers means of judging of the standing of any given brand during the past season. Analyses'for 1897. As is known, the samples of fertilizers are taken by the official inspectors from fertilizers after they have been sent into the State, and are out of the hands of the manufacturers and in the hands of local dealers. These samples, therefore, repre-sent exactly what the purchasers are getting. Samples are taken throughout the season by the different inspectors in various por-tions of the State. Analyses are made very promptly upon receipt of samples from inspectors, and prepared for publication with the least possible delay. As in past years, they will be printed every two weeks during the fertilizer season of i897. These bi-weekly bulletins are sent only to those who request them, but one applica-tion only is required for the entire season. The present Fertilizer Laws. The following carefully prepared digest shows accurately, in small compass, the existing laws in regard to fertilizers. It is intended to give information in regard to the fertilizer trade which should be known by purchasers, dealers, and the public generally. 4 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. No manipulated guanos, superphosphates, commercial fertilizers or other fer-tilizing material shall be sold or offered for sale unless a tonnage charge of twenty-five cents per ton has been paid. Each barrel, package or bag shall have attached a tag representing this fact, which tag shall be issued by the Commis-sioner of Agriculture according to regulations prescribed by the Department of Agriculture . The Department of Agriculture has power at all times to have samples collected of any fertilizer or fertilizing material on sale, which must be taken from at least ten per cent of the lot selected. These samples are taken from the goods in the hands of dealers after they are shipped from the manu-factories, and accordingly represent the true grade of fertilizers offered for sale. Every package of fertilizer offered for sale must have thereon a plainly printed label, a copy of which must be filed with the Commissioner of Agriculture, together with a true sample of the fertilizer which it is proposed to sell, at or before the shipment of such fertilizer into the State, and which label must be uniformly used and not changed during the year. This label must set forth the name, location and trade-mark of the manufacturer ; also the chemical compo-sition of contents and real percentage of the ordinary ingredients claimed to be present, together with date of analyzation, and that all charges have been paid. There must be no variation in the guaranteed percentages, but the bags must be branded with the exact chemical composition of the contents No fertilizer can be sold with a content less than eight per cent of available phosphoric acid, two per cent ammonia, and one per cent, of potash. Cotton-seed meal is ex-empted from paying the tonnage charge ; also land plaster, agricultural lime, oyster-shell lime, marl, and bulk materials for manufacturing purposes, upon which a tonnage charge is to be paid thereafter. It is a misdemeanor, and a fine of ten dollars for each bag, for an agent or dealer to offer for sale any such fertilizer or fertilizing materials not properly tagged, or a consumer to remove it, or a railroad agent to deliver it Any fer-tilizer or fertilizing material that does not contain the ingredients as represented by the label is liable to seizure, and, after being established on trial, its value is recovered by the Board of Agriculture Any person who offers for sale fertili-zers or fertilizing material without having attached thereto labels as provided by law, is liable to a fine of ten dollars for each separate package—one-half, less the cost, going to the party suing, and the remainder to the Department ; and if such fertilizer is condemned, the Department makes analyses of the same and has printed labels placed on each package, giving the true chemical ingredients of the same, and fixes the commercial value at which it may be sold. The De-partment of Agriculture can require agents of railroads and steamboat compa-nies to furnish monthly statements of the quantity of fertilizers transported by them. The Experiment Station analyzes samples of fertilizers taken by the offi-cial inspectors, and publishes the same whenever needful. WHEN ANALYSES OF FERTILIZERS ARE MADE FOR FARMERS. The Station does not analyze samples of fertilizers for manufac-turers or dealers. It discontinued the practice some years ago, tak-ing this action for several reasons. When the fertilizer manufac-turing industry was in its infancy in North Carolina, the Station aided them in every laudable way by advice as to formulas, ingre-dients suitable for mixing, and by making analyses of materials for them. Now the industry has so grown that sufficient knowledge and facilities are at hand to render it unnecessary to continue the assistance formerly so freely given. Another reason why this has been withdrawn is that it was found that there was a tendency to abuse the privilege, and occasionally samples were sent to the Sta-tion and analyzed that did not truly represent the materials sold. In this particular case, use was made of the Station's analysis in what might have been an unlawful purpose. THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 5 Analyses are still made for farmers, to aid them in preventing fraud in their purchases of fertilizers; and this applies also to fer-tilizing ingredients, such as kainit, cotton seed meal, chemicals, and the like. These analyses are made upon the following conditions: 1. That the article to be sampled has regularly paid the tonnage charges for inspection. This charge is extremely small in itself, and was instituted for the protection of farmers and uthers purchasing these materials, and enables the fertilizer inspection and control to be sustained. Millions of dollars have been saved over and over again by reason of the operations of this control and the continual careful oversight of the fertilizer trade. This protection cannot be extended to fertilizers that have not the requisite tags attached to the bags. It is unlawful for dealers to sell bags or any packages of fertilizers not properly tagged, as well as for shipping agents to deliver and consumers to remove them. Such being the case, the very fact that these materials are not tagged would indicate that they were unlawfully on the market, and farmers are advised to refuse to deal in such materials. 2. There must be some special reason for thinking the grade below the guarantee. This requirement is necessary, as otherwise the Sta-tion would receive so many samples that the analyses of the official samples might be very greatly retarded thereby if all analyses were attempted at the time they were received. The official inspectors are constantly travelling over the State during the fertilizer seasons and they draw samples wherever fertilizers are found. It is prefer-able that the samples should be drawn by them in the usual opera-tions of the fertilizer control, for they have better facilities and are more thoroughly acquainted with the proper manner of taking them. On account of their official character, analyses of such sam-ples are of far more importance in disputed cases than a sample from a private party. The Station prefers, therefore, that samples should always come through the official inspectors. Nevertheless, where there is some special reason for doubting the purity of a lot of fertilizers, it will make an analysis of a sample if all of the con-ditions that are named have been observed. 3. The sample must be taken according to forms prescribed by the Station, which can be obtained upon application. This is nec-essary in order to procure as fair and average a sample as is possi-ble. It can be easily seen that upon the sample depends entirely the value of the analysis. If it is taken carelessly it may not repre-sent the materials on sale, and the analysis may be entirely worth-less on account of that fact. After the sample is received the Station can have no means of ascertaining by an examination of it whether it has been accurately taken or not. It must, therefore, rely for their accuracy solely on the instructions it gives in advance for drawing these samples. In order to be positive as to the sample none should be sent coming from a manufacturer or dealer. It should always be drawn under the personal supervision of the sender. The sampling in every case must be witnessed and signed by two witnesses, stating 6 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. that all the instructions have been complied with and a fair average sample has been secured, representing in their opinion the lot in question. If it is desired by the sender, the name of the brand and manufacturer, with the guaranteed percentages, may be retained until after the analysis is received by him, but in every case these must be returned to the Station for completion of the records con-cerning the sample. As a rule there must be at least three tons in the lot to be sampled, though in special cases exceptions are made. The Necessity for Accurate Sampling. Owing to the nature of the ingredients composing a fertilizer, it often happens that these ingredients do not remain thoroughly mixed. This is caused by the transportation and handling of the bag, whereby the fine and heavy particles (generally of phosphate) separate from the lighter and more bulky portions of organic mate-rials furnishing nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash, such as cotton-seed meal and tobacco stems. The heavy particles, which are at the same time finer, have the tendency to settle towards the bottom, thereby leaving the coarse organic materials at the top. If now a sample be taken from the top of the bag only it will show by anal-ysis a higher percentage of the nitrogen or potash than would be the case if the whole contents were carefully mixed before the sam-ple was taken. The analysis will also show a lower percentage of phosphoric acid than should be, because a portion of the fine phos-phate has already settled towards the bottom, and is not reached in the sampling. The official inspectors obviate this difficulty by the use of a long, hollow steel sampling tube, which is thrust in from side to side or end to end of the bag. It is then withdrawn, bring-ing out a core of the contents of the bag in the same position as occurring inside. The instructions for sampling, as given by the Station, suggests a plan for securing an average sample without the use of this sampling-tube. THE NEED OF FERTILIZER ANALYSES, AND AN EXPLANA-TION OF TERMS USED. The analysis of a fertilizer is made to determine the quantity of each valuable constituent present. No one, by looking at a fertili-zer, can tell its grade, and whether the constituents claimed by the manufacturers are really present. This must be done by a careful chemical examination, and this can only be accomplished by com-petent experts. Anterior to 1877, before the establishment of the Fertilizer Control, there being no restraint upon manufacturers, many fertilizers were of little value, and farmers were losing enor-mous sums annually, with no opportunity of ascertaining the real character of the goods they were buying. The result in the field was oftentimes disastrous, and the planter lost not only the actual amount paid for the fertilizer, but also the prospective yield in his THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 7 crop. Now this is changed. By the operations of the Fertilizer Control there is no opportunity for the lowest grades of fertilizers to be brought into the State, unless fraudulently. All brands pro-posed to be put on sale have to be first registered with the actual guaranteed percentages before they can be lawfully sold. Low grade fertilizers are excluded by law. Samples are taken of the goods after they are put on the market, analyzed and published broadcast. If the grade is found to fall materially below the guar-antee, it is subject to seizure and condemnation. Whenever the grade is deficient, but not materially so to cause condemnation, the analysis is printed so that the public may be warned in the future. Terms Used in an Analysis. All figures given in the tables, except the value per ton, are stated in per cents or parts per 100. There are three special constituents which, when present, give a fertilizer its value. These are phos-phoric acid, nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash. The valuable chemical elements in these constituents are phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium respectively. These constituents are never present as such, but always combined with other compounds, which combi-nation is necessary for their existence in the fertilizer. In fact, these terms so often seen, phosphoric acid, nitrogen (or ammonia) and potash, refer to chemical compounds which do not exist as such, and are only used as a convenient method of referring to the ingredients present in a fertilizer and their amounts. Phosphoric Acid. In what combinations these three ingredients above stated occur, depend entirely upon the materials used. If the phosphoric acid is derived from the phosphates of fossil origin (South Carolina rock, etc.), as is most often the case, the phosphorus present in them is combined with lime in the form of tri-calcium phosphate, or three parts of lime in combination with phosphoric acid. As this is very insoluble in the soil and is not readily taken up by plants, it is treated with sulphuric acid to render it more sol-uble and available. After this treatment the phosphate contains only one part of lime and more phosphoric acid than before. It is possible for some of the soluble phosphate so made to slowly change back to the original form, but before reaching it an intermediate form may result with more lime than the soluble. This intermedi-ate form is called the reverted phosphate, and the quantity present is estimated as so much reverted phosphoric acid. In the laboratory estimation, the soluble phosphoric acid is all that is soluble in pure cold water ; the reverted pbosphoric acid is that soluble in a solution of ammonium citrate, according to a standard method of analysis, but insoluble in water ; and, lastly, the insoluble phosphoric acid is that which is insoluble both in water as well as in the citrate solu-tion. The total phosphoric acid present in a fertilizer or fertilizing in-gredient is consequently made up of three forms : (1) soluble phos- 8 N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1897. phoric acid, (2) reverted phosphoric acid, and (3) insoluble phospho-ric acid. The last form is not considered as available to the plants as are the other two forms. The first two forms combined are often spoken of as available phosphoric acid, and is not a distinct form of phosphoric acid, but is only the collective name of the reverted and soluble forms taken together. The available phosphoric acid is con-sequently the sum of the soluble and the reverted, or is the differ-ence between the insoluble and the total phosphoric acid. The available phosphoric acid is now valued at 4 cents per pound, ac-cording to the plan explained further on. Equal values are there given to the soluble and reverted forms. It is likely that the Sta-tion may separate these forms in the near future and accord to the reverted a lower valuation than to the soluble phosphoric acid. The insoluble phosphoric acid is not valued, except in the case of pure bone meal, when a valuation of 3 cents per pound is given to it. This will probably be changed to embrace a range of values accord-ing to the fineness of the meal. Nitrogen (or Ammonia). Nitrogen should always be used to repre-sent compounds of this character. Ammonia is somewhat mislead-ing, for in many cases of organic materials ammonia is not present at all, but nitrogen is present in the form of nitrogenous matters and would be a better basis of value. Ammonia, however, has be-come to be used so exclusively by the trade to represent these mate-rials that the term cannot now well be dropped. Consequently both nitrogen and ammonia are given. The former is converted to ammonia by multiplying by 1.214. Onlv nitrogen (ammonia) from the well recognized legitimate sources is valued. Others which are considered as adulterations are not valued. The value given to the former is now 12 cents per pound. Potash. This constituent does not exist as such, but combined as sulphate, muriate (chloride), carbonate, nitrate, or in organic combi-nation. The potash estimated is that soluble in pure cold water and is valued at 5 cents per pound. Water. The quantity of moisture present is estimated as a mat-ter of interest to give an indication of the property of the fertili-zer, whether dry or wet. It is not used in estimating the commer-cial value. Guaranteed Percentages. The percentages guaranteed by the manufacturer are given side by side with the percentages of the various constituents as found by analysis. This facilitates compar-ison. The commercial value as determined by these guarantees, and the same valuation of constituents as are applied in the analysis, are given in the tables side by side with the commercial value as determined by the analysis. Mechanical Condition. As a fertilizer in a fine state of subdivision is of more value than a coarse one, because it is more available to the plants in the soil, the mechanical condition of each fertilizer, as it is received from the inspector, is stated. In the same way a dry fertilizer is more easily handled and distributed than a damp or THE FERTILIZER CONTROL DURING 1896. 9 moist one, and is consequently of greater value. The plan for designating the mechanical condition is as follows : n—fine, d—good, r—fair, s—coarse, b—very coarse, p—damp, y—lumpy, and w—wet. Relative Seaboard Value per Ton of Unmixed Ingredients. For the purpose of a better comparison among the various brands, and to give some idea of their worth, the relative seaboard value of the unmixed ingredients per ton are given as determined by the analy-sis. In the next column is also given, calculated in a similar way, the value of the guaranteed amounts of the constituents. A fuller discussion upon these relative commercial values, how they are cal-culated, and in what way they are useful, will be found in the two following sections. How the Valuations of Constituents are Determined. The valuations of the three constituents, available phosphoric acid, ammonia, and potash, are intended to give the market price for cash at the seaboard of the ingredients making up a fertilizer. The cash price for small lots in bags, free on board cars, are intended. These valuations are made up early in January of each year, to run through the spring and fall seasons. It is expected that there will be variations in the market price of the ingredients during the course of the year, but experience lias shown that this variation will be slight. This is because fertilizing materials are largely contracted for in advance before the opening of the year, and in many cases a large majority of the fertilizers are already manipulated before the beginning of the season. The valuation of the constituents are fixed by a careful examina-tion of existing conditions of the trade, the markets at important centres, and from actual quotations given by seaboard manufactur-ers and dealers upon the various ingredients used for manipulating fertilizers. These quotations are for cash in small lots of five tons and less, free on board and bagged. The valuations for the year 1897 have been fixed at the following rates : For available phosphoric acid 4 cents per pound. For ammonia 12 " " For potash __ 5 " " The analyses hereafter given in this bulletin are calculated at the above rate, which rate will be retained during the coming year, and published in the bi-weekly analyses of fertilizers already mentioned. During the past year (1896) available phosphoric acid was valued at 4J cents per pound, ammonia at 13 cents, and potash at 5 cents. Consequently the valuations for the present year (1897) are reduced by \ cent per pound for available phosphori |
OCLC number | 5218399 |