This expenditure may be more briefly summarized and classified as follows:

As the provisions of an act of congress approved March 2, 1887, under which this experiment station is organized, limit the amount of each year's appropriation which may be used for building purposes to 5 per cent of such appropriation, and also require that the entire appropriation for each year shall be expended during that year in order to entitle the station to receive the full amount of the following year's appropriation, it is necessary to make the following divided statement of the above account.

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF EXPERIMENT STATION.

By balance on hand from last fiscal year.

receipts from U. S. treasurer for fiscal year.

other sources..

To disbursements from funds rec'd from U. S. for buildings..

balance overdrawn..

$618 33 15,000 00 2,037 05

$750 00

1,930 75

$312 50

186 69

499 19

725 00

574 10

500 00

$21,016 59

Horticultural department

One horse....

Office furniture, implements, etc..

Chemical department

Thermometers, $154.20; balances, $550.45; platinum, $250.85; sun

dry apparatus, $975.35.:.

Botanical department

Microscopes and accessories.

Furniture and sundry apparatus

REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST.

To the Director:

Since writing my last annual report Feb. 1, 1893, two bulletins have been issued by this department, both upon potatoes. The first upon amounts of seed being especially exhaustive of the subject. The many complimentary notices of this bulletin have been gratifying to all concerned in its make up.

The interesting experiment in lamb feeding in progress during the winter has been completed and the material is now practically ready for publication. Some investigations have also been made into the practicability of silage as a commercial product, also as to its feeding value. Experiments in horn killing with various compounds and dehorning have been made. A large amount of experimentation has been begun in relation to corn smut; to determine its life history, methods of infection and preventatives therefor. In this work since the retirement of Mr. Holden I am under great obligations to Mr. C. F. Wheeler, the efficient botanist of the station, who has practically taken charge of the experiment, also to the chemical department for counsel and material.

The plat experiment to determine the personal equation preparatory to important fertilizer experiments covering long periods, which were begun some years since, have been continued.

Experiments upon the smut of oats and barley, different methods of treatment; corn selection, deep and shallow cultivation, different distances apart, hills vs. drills, different amounts of seed and varieties for silage purposes, roots, the most profitable kind and cost of growing for field crops; grass, best kind for meadows; various leguminous plants for fodder purposes, have all been begun, and will undoubtedly be reported upon by my successor, either by bulletins or otherwise in due season.

At Grayling practical methods of improving the soil by growing and plowing in spurry and the application of cheap fertilizers, such as ashes and land plaster have been outlined placed in the hands of Dr. Palmer who has been so long connected with that station. Some tests are also being made there with chemical fertilizers and some new plants are being tested. The doctor will undoubtedly report upon these at the close of the year.

I have to thank all those who have heartily coöperated with me in this work, and wish the highest success to those who take it up after me. P., M. HOWARD,

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

June 30, 1893.

8

Agriculturist.

REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST.

To the Director:

SIR-Although the early part of the season of 1893 was quite favorable. for the development of garden crops, the severe drought which lasted from the early part of July until the last of August, cut short many that matured late in the season. As might be expected, the wet weather of early spring was quite favorable to the development of fungi, but, as it became dryer, the injury was noticeably decreased.

The results obtained from the experiments of 1892 were compiled and sent out in bulletins. From the fact that much of the time of my assistants and myself was taken up with closing up the fall work, and during several weeks in the winter, in attending farmer's institutes in different parts of the State, the preparation and distribution of the bulletins was considerably delayed. In spite of this, however, the bulletins were in the hands of the farmers in season for their use the following year. Were outside duties not allowed to interfere, the results of nearly all of our experimental work could be compiled and in the printer's hands by the first of January. The farmers would then receive the bulletins at a time when they have ample leisure to examine them.

The following bulletins were issued: No. 88, Fruit Report, South Haven, December, 1892; No. 90, Vegetable Tests, February, 1893; No. 92, Small Fruit Notes; Spraying, August, 1893; No. 100, Eighty New Strawberries, August, 1893. We also have nearly if not quite ready for the printer, the following: Peach and Plum Culture in Michigan; A Year Among Fruits (South Haven); Michigan Fruit Notes; Strawberries and Raspberries; The Potato and Potato Scab; Notes on New Vegetables.

VARIETY TESTS OF FRUITS.

In most respects the strawberry crop would be pronounced a success, as the fruit was large and perfect. Many of the varieties were considerably troubled by leaf rust, and on such sorts the fruits dried up before ripening. In addition to one hundred and fifty old kinds, we fruited eighty new sorts for the first time in 1893, and as soon as possible after the crop was harvested, our notes and conclusions were written up and published in bulletin No. 100.

Up to the first of July, the raspberry and blackberry crop promised well, but it was cut short by the drouth. The old cherry trees bore a full crop, and a few of the young ones gave a sufficient number of fruits to indicate the value of the variety, so far as the characteristics of the fruit are concerned. The results with plums and peaches were quite similar to those with cherries. The pears gave a small crop, but the apple trees were so weakened by the unfavorable conditions of the previous year, that the crop was very light. Many of the trees of all kinds in the young orchards give promise of a good crop in 1894.

INSECTS AND FUNGI.

From the fact that the frequent rains during the early part of the season rendered the application of remedies, at the proper time, quite difficult,

and because the dry weather of midsummer put a stop to the development of the fungi, the results obtained from our experimental work in the line of fungicides, were not as striking as would have been the case under different circumstances; yet, in every case where there was any noticeable amount of fungi, the application of fungicides had a good effect. The best results however, were obtained at the South Haven substation, where very beneficial results were secured in the treatment of peach leaf curl, peach and plum rot, grape mildew, raspberry anthracnose, strawberry leaf blight and the diseases of the currant, gooseberry and quince.

Early in the season arrangements were made with a number of fruit. growers in various sections of the State for coöperative work with fungicides, and although, for various reasons, the results were not as good as might be desirable, the persons who undertook the experiments and many of their neighbors were so impressed with the value of the treatment that they expect to spray thoroughly their entire orchards the coming season. As an indication of the use of fungicides, it may be said that while the amount of copper sulphate used in the State for this purpose in 1892 was less than 1,000 pounds, it increased in 1893 to at least five tons and from present indications it is not likely to be less than twenty-five tons in 1894. The cheapest and most efficient fungicide found up to the present time is the well known Bordeaux mixture, and as the arsenites can be more safely applied when used in combination with lime, the use of the two remedies, at one time, lessens the cost of application, and increases the efficiency of both.

As there were many calls for information on this subject, a portion of bulletin 92 was devoted to this subject.

The discovery of the cause of potato scab, and the remedy for it, seemed to warrant some attention to learn the proper strength and duration of time for the application. The experiment was so complete in all its details that we shall be able to announce to the farmers a way of increasing the value of the potato crop of the State from ten to twenty-five dollars per acre at an expense not exceeding ten cents.

The method of treatment found to be best is not essentially different from that of Prof. Bolley, who first discovered the nature of the disease.

FERTILIZER TESTS.

The field tests of commercial fertilizers upon both fruits and vegetables was continued about as in previous years. We also did something in the way of cooperative work with these materials in different parts of the State. This was done in order that we might learn whether commercial fertilizers could be applied with profit to fruit crops. As the tests were carried on in fruit growing districts, it also gave the neighboring fruit growers an opportunity to judge for themselves as to the profitableness of the application.

VEGETABLE TESTS.

The work of testing the novelties in vegetables sent out by the seedsmen has been kept up, and the usual report will soon be issued. While the number of novelties is rather less than in past years, it could be still