plies of stock and farm implements, and making repairs and permanent improvements upon the farm and buildings as the Board may order."

The farmers of Tennessee are earnestly seeking how best to diversify their industries, that they may avoid the frequent disasters which seem to accompany the growing of staple crops alone. They are entering upon untried methods by which they hope to obtain fair rewards for their labor, and are everywhere met by the difficulties and uncertainties which attend all new enterprises. They are asking how to use fertilizers so as to increase the yield per acre without increase of cost of product; how to clothe their bare fields with nutritious grasses; how to reclaim the vast areas of once productive lands now regarded as almost worthless; how best to use the coarser forage stuffs too often suffered to waste upon the farm. In every department of agriculture and horticulture they are demanding, as they have a right to do, that the trained workers of their Experiment Station shall endeavor to solve for them some of the difficult questions presented to their daily experience.

The action of the Board of Trustees was taken with a full appreciation of what are the plainly apparant duties of the Station. The policy so outlined has been adopted by the Station staff, one and all; and to its fruition every person employed has given his best service.

Upon the Station Farm we have set on foot and are steadily pursuing experimentation in such lines and in such ways as will enable us to answer, with greater or less accuracy, the many questions of interest pressed upon us by the people of Tennessee.

Probably the most important investigation upon which we have entered is to ascertain the adaptability of grasses, especially those which are perennial, to the various soils of the State. We have sought to do this work in two ways: first, by establishing upon the Station Farm a garden of grasses, where could be tested the various perennials suited to our climate and soil conditions, and to produce as quickly as possible grass seeds of known purity, and plants of such as are not easily propagated from seed, for distribution throughout the State. Those who know the difficulties encountered in any attempt to grow grasses by what is termed pure culture,—that is, the growing of any given grass in a plot without admixture of other varieties,-will understand why such an enterprise cannot be successfully carried through to success in any short period of time. We have already been able to send out to several sections of the State both seeds and plants sure to add very much to the value of the woodland as well as open pasturage. This work will be continued upon its present lines, and further additions will be made to the number of varieties now grown for this purpose, whenever opportunity shall permit; secondly, that farmers may know as completely and as accurately as they should the character, value, habits, and uses of the

native as well as the introduced grasses of the State, it was decided to prepare and publish, to be distributed as widely as our means would permit, a bulletin illustrating as nearly as possible every grass, good, bad or indifferent, now growing in the State. This work was intrusted to Professor F. Lamson-Scribner, Botanist, and was diligently prosecuted until complete.

Early in the fall of 1893, measures were taken to transfer the most important work of the Horticulturist to the Station Farm, upon which are found many acres admirably suited in soil, location, and exposure for such work as is most desirable in this department. The work of converting an almost useless steep hillside into a series of terraces to be planted in pears, grapes, and other fruits, best adapted to the peculiar conditions there existing, is now well under way. The labor of men and horses upon the farm has been so managed that this very large amount of work has been accomplished without serious cost. When completed, we shall have an orchard and fruit garden very conveniently arranged to secure all necessary conditions of healthy growth and development.

It has been decided to give much less time to what are known as variety tests. At best, such tests can only determine such things as concern the given locality and the soil upon which they are made. Our main object in all the work we shall do in the growing of fruits or vegetables upon the Station Farm will be to seek the best methods by which we can maintain healthy, fruitful growth, and how to combat the insect pests and fungus enemies, nnder as well as above ground, which are everywhere the cause of ruin to the trees, fruits and vegetables in this latitude.

Meanwhile we have not lost sight of that sort of investigation into the adaptation of plants of all kinds to the various conditions, whether of prevailing winds, temperature, altitude, or soils, which is really the only manner in which variety tests can be intelligently conducted. For this part of our work we have sought, and I am glad to say that we are receiving, the generous help of our people, from the mountains to the Mississippi River. Out of such effort will come, sooner or later, such measure of success as will surely recompense all our labor and trouble. During the year 1893 the following bulletins were issued:

No. 1. "Some Injurious Insects of the Apple." Of this bulletin 5,000 copies were issued, and were sent to our correspondents throughout the State, and have been supplied upon subsequent demand until very few copies are now left on hand. No. 2. "The Rational Use of Feeding Stuffs. Winter Dairying in Tennessee." 5,000 copies were issued and have been distributed by the Station. By permission, nearly as many more have been printed and distributed throughout the country without cost to us.

No. 3. "Small Fruits:- Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries,

Grapes."

No. 4. "Field Experiments with Tomatoes and Onions. The Bollworm, Corn-worm, or Tomato-worm (Heliothis armiger, Hubn.)." Of these two bulletins a like number, 5,000 each, have been distributed to our correspondents, and have been asked for and sent to many hundred of others in the State and elsewhere.

A cordial understanding was had with the State Bureau of Agriculture, and plans were made by which the Bureau at Nashville has greatly assisted in making the work of this Station of genuine value to all parts of the commonwealth.

On the 1st of July, 1894, the organization of the Station was changed somewhat, because of the appointment of Professor F. Lamson-Scribner to be Agrostologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. With the same Executive Committee, the Station Council is now:

CHAS. W. DABNEY, JR., President.

CHAS. F. VANDERFORD, Secretary.

J. B. MCBRYDE, Chemist.

R. L. WATTS, Horticulturist.

S. M. BAIN, Botanist.

CHAS. E. CHAMBLISS, Entomologist.

CHAS. A. MOOERS, Assistant Chemist.

THOS. F. PECK, Farm Foreman.

During the current year we have issued bulletins :

No. 1. "The Grasses of Tennessee." This bulletin contains one hundred and eighty-seven illustrations, carefully drawn from specimens in the herbarium of the Station, with appropriate descriptions of each.

It is a valuable contribution to the agricultural literature of the State, furnishing, as it does, such information as every farmer must have wo would properly manage his meadows and his pastures. With this bulletin at hand, every intelligent farmer in the State should be able to recognize any grass, of whatever character, useful or injurious, found native in his fields or woodland pastures, or introduced as commonly-called cultivated grasses. He can now know their general appearance, habits of growth, time of seeding, and so be able to rid himself of such as are of little or no value, and protect such as he wishes to grow most abundantly.

No. 2. "FRUITS: Grapes, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Pears, Apples and Peaches," gives concisely the results of the work so far with these fruits upon our grounds, both at the University and at the Farm, and sets forth clearly enough the proposed work of the future by the Horticul tural Department of the Station.

No. 3. "Co-operative Experimentation;" a Bulletin of Progress printed to comply with the promise made to those who gave their help toward the conduct of certain investigations set on foot by the State Bureau of Agriculture and the Experiment Station; as well as to inform our people particularly about the new and better method, adopted by the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, to disseminate such new seeds and plants as are most likely to be of value in the State.

more

No. 4. "Dehorning Cattle" explains as simply and clearly as possible the process of dehorning cattle, with suggested precautions with respect to cows giving milk, and the almost painless operation for preventing the growth of horns of calves. It is certain that when the advantages of dehorning are fully understood, and when the impression that the operation is needlessly cruel is once removed, every farmer and stock-breeder will be glad to know how and when the work can be done in the safest and most expeditious way.

CHAS. W. DABNEY, JR.,
President.

CHEMICAL DIVISION.

DR. CHAS. W. DABNEY, JR., President.

DEAR SIR:-The following report of the work of the Chemical Division of the Experiment Station for the year 1893-94 is respectfully submitted:

During the early part of the year work on the study of the virgin soils of the State was continued; some twenty analyses of soils and subsoils were completed. This practically completes the chemical work on soils. We have examined in the laboratory fifty odd samples of soils and subsoils. and have made complete chemical analyses of forty-eight samples. These samples, representing as they do all the typical soil areas of the State, were carefully selected by Secretary Chas. F. Vanderford; a description of the method of obtaining the samples being given in the Fifth Annual Report. This Station now has on hand sufficient data to make an exceedingly valuable report on the soils of this State, and it is the intention of those in charge to publish these results as soon as possible.

After the completion of the soil analyses, work was begun on a study of the starch content of the Irish potato. All growers of Irish potatoes, residents of the State, were invited to send us for analysis samples of their seed potatoes; unfortunately, only two growers took advantage of this opportunity, namely Jno. C. Bridgewater of Mount Juliet, and Hugh L. Craighead of Nashville. Mr. Bridgewater sent in six samples and Mr. Craighead one. These seven samples, with one from the Station Farm, were the only samples of seed potatoes sent us. All persons sending samples of seed potatoes were also requested to send us samples of potatoes from the resulting crop; and in response to this request we received, with the exception of eight samples from the Station Farm, but one sample, and that from Mr. Craighead of Nashville. Although much disappointed by the apparent lack of interest in the problem of improving the Irish potato crop in the State, we feel that something has been accomplished in making a start; and we hope that another year will show an improved interest in this important work.

Eight samples of sorghum cane. grown from seed sent out by the United States Department of Agriculture, were examined for sugar; and it is the present policy of the Station to continue this work next year.

During the early part of October we received the first samples of sugar beets, and they continued to come in until about the first of De