*D. C. Gallaher, resigned. Jas. F. Brown, Charleston, appointed.

A. C. Magruder, resigned.

H. R. Baldwin, resigned. Dr. de Roode appointed.

MORGANTOWN, W. VA., January 1, 1891.

To His Excellency, A. B. Fleming,

Governor of West Virginia:

I have the honor to transmit to you herewith, in accordance with law, the Third Annual Report of the Agricultural Experiment Sta

tion of West Virginia.

Respectfully,

J. A. ROBINSON,

President of the Board of Regents,
University of West Virginia.

REPORT.

The West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station was established in connection with the West Virginia University, by the provisions of the Act of Congress which is given below, and also in accordance with the ruling of the Treasury Department of February 16th, 1888, upon sections I and 8; the Legislature accepting the conditions of the Congressional law by the act passed at its last general session, a copy of which is herewith attached.

(Forty-ninth Congress, Second Session, Chapter 314, Statutes of the United States, vol. 24, page 440.)

An Act to establish agricultural experiment stations in connection with the colleges established in the several States under the provisions of an act approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixty-two, and of the acts supplementary thereto.

Be it enacted by the Senate and house of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: That in order to aid in acquiring and diffusing among the people of fhe United States useful and practical information on subjects connected with agriculture and to promote scientific investigation and experiment respecting the principles and applications of agricultural science, there shall be established, under direction of the college or colleges or agricultural department of colleges, in each State or Territory established, or which may hereafter be established, in accordance with the provisions of an act approved July second, eighteen hundred and sixtytwo, entitled "An act donating public lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts," or any of the supplements to said act, a department to be known and designated as an "agrcultural experiment station:" Provided, That in any State or Territory in which two such colleges have been or may be so established the appropriation hereinafter made to such State or Territory shall be equally divided between such colleges, unless the Legislature of such State or Territory shall otherwise direct.

Sec. 2. That it shall be the object and duty of said experiments stations to conduct original researches or verify experiments on the physiology of plants and animals; the diseases to which they are severally subject, with the remedies for the same; the chemical composition of useful plants at the different stages of growth; the comparative advantages of rotative cropping as pursued under a varying series of crops; the capacity of new plants or trees for acclimation; the analysis of soils and water; the chemical composition of manures, natural or artifical, with experiments designed to test their comparative effects on crops of different kinds; the adaptation and value of grasses and forage plants; the composition and digestibility of the different kinds of food for domestic animals; the scientific and economic questions involved in the production of butter and cheese; and such other researches or experiments bearing directly on the agricultural industry of the United States as may in each case be deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the respective States and Territories.

Sec. 3. That in order to secure, as far as practicable, uniformity of methods and results in the work of said stations, it shall be the duty of the United States Commissioner of Agriculture to furnish forms as far as practicable, for the tabulation of results of investigation or experiments; to indicate, from time to time, such lines of inquiry as to him shall seem most important; and in general, to furnish such advice and assistance as will best promote the purposes of this act. It shall be the duty of each of 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 expenditures, a copy of which report shall be sent to each of said stations, to the said Commissioner of Agriculture, and to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.

Sec. 4. That bulletins or reports of progress shall be published at said stations at least once in three months, one copy of which shall be sent to each newspaper in the States or Territories in which they are respectively located, and to such individuals actually engaged in farming, as may request the same, and as far as the means of the station will permit. Such bulletins or reports, and the annual reports of said stations shall be transmitted in the mails of the United States, free of charge for postage, under such regulations as the Postmaster General may, from time to time, prescribe.

Sec. 5. That for the purpose of paying the necessary expenscs of conducting investigations and experiments, and printing and distributing the results as hereinbefore described, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars per annum is hereby appropriated to cach State, to be specially provided for by Congress in the appropriation from year to year, and to each Territory entitled under the provisions of section eight of this act, out of any money in the Treasury proceeding from the sales of public lands, to be paid in equal quarterly payments, on the first day of January, April, July and October in each year, to the treasurer or other officer duly appointed by the govern

ing boards of said colleges to receive the same, the first payment to be made on the first day of October, eighteen hundred and eightyseven; provided, however, That out of the first annual appropriation so received by any station an amount not exceeding one-fifth may be expended in the erection, enlargement, or repair of a building or buildings necessary for carrying on the work of such station; and thereafter an amount not exceeding five per centum of such annual appropriation may be so expended.

Sec. 6. That whenever it shall appear to the Secretary of the Treasury from the annual statement of receipts and expenditures of any of said stations that a portion of the preceding annual appropriation remains unexpended, such amount shall be deducted from the next succeeding annual appropriation to such station, in order that the amount of money appropriated to any station shall not exceed the amount actually and necessarily required for its maintenance and support.

Sec. 7. That nothing in this act shall be construed to impair or modify the legal relation existing between any of the said colleges and the government of the States and Territories in which they are respectively located.

Sec. 8. That in States having colleges entitled under this section to the benefits of this act and having also agricultural experiment stations established by law separate from said colleges, such states shall be authorized to apply such benefits to experiments at stations so established by such states; and in case any state shall have established under the provisions of said act of July second aforesaid, an agricultural department or experiment station, in connection with any university, college or institution not distinctively an agricultural college or school, which shall have connected therewith an experimental farm or station, the Legislature of such State may apply in whole or in part, the appropriation by this act made, to such separate agricultural college or school, and no Legislature shall by contract, express or implied disable itself from so doing.

Sec. 9. That the grants of moneys authorized by this act are made subject to the Legislative assent of the several States and Territories to the purpose of said grants: Provided, That payment of such instalments of the appropriation herein made, shall become due to any State before the adjournment of the regular session of its Legislature meeting next after the passage of this act, shall be made upon the assent of the Governor thereof duly certified to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Sec. 10. Nothing in this act shall be held or construed as binding the United States to continue any payment from the treasury to any or all the States or institutions mentioned in this act, but Congress may at any time amend, suspend, or repeal any or all the provisions of this act.

Approved March 2, 1887.