The saving to the State by the improved methods of selecting and preserving seed corn alone, is worth many times the whole cost of the Station since its establishment. Special attention is called to this portion of the report.

NAMING PLANTS AND INSECTS.

A larger number of specimens of weeds, grasses and other plants, grain, fruit and insects have been sent to the Station for name and history during the past year than ever before. These specimens, almost without exception, have been indentified and fully described. Special pains is taken to give all the informa tion possible regarding the history, habits and remedies for weeds and insect. pests.

DETECTING BOGUS BUTTER.

Few subjects are attracting more attention at the present time than the adul teration and counterfeiting of butter. Some recent experiments made by the Department of Agricul ure at Washington, appear to give conclusive evidence. that by the aid of the microscope genuine butter could be readily distinguished. from butter substitutes. An elaborate investigation of this subject by the chemist of the Station has led to a different conclusion.

The report on this subject is of great interest, and will repay careful study.

FORESTRY.

A State Forestry Commission having been appointed by the last Legislature, with a special appropriation for carrying on its work, the Station has done but little the past year in extending its experiments in forest-tree culture. Something has been done, however, and earnest attention is called to this portion of the Report. There are few subjects connected with the welfare of the State that demand more serious attention.

The Station is endeavoring to show how our best timber trees can be cheaply and successfully grown from seed; which are the best varieties for different soils and exposures; the best methods of transplanting and trimming; the best time to cut, and the most effective way of preserving timber.

To do this wisely is to render the State a service of signal value.

STATION PUBLICATIONS.

During the past year brief bulletins, circulars and notes have, from time to time, been published. These have been extensively copied by the agricultural press, and have received many words of commendation. As no provision is made by the act establishing the Station for any publication except for the annual report, with the means at command little can be done in the way of issuing frequent bulletins. A slight increase in the appropriation would provide for the prompt dissemination of the results of the Station's work.

Arrangements are now being perfected by means of which the leading agricultural journals and other newspapers of the State will serve as efficient means of communication between the Station and those for whose benefit it was created.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

During the past year the Station has received many valuable donations, for which it returns heartfelt thanks. These gifts not only add to the efficiency of its work, but show that its labors are cordially approved.

The kind words with which the last report was received have greatly encouraged the Board of Control and officers. Working without any adequate compensation, the assurance that their efforts in behalf of the agricultural interests of the State are appreciated by those best fitted to judge, is a welcome reward. Friendly counsel and cordial co operation cannot fail to inspire new zeal in all connected with the direct management of the Station.

It is the earnest purpose of those into whose hands the direction has been given, to keep the Station up to the high ideal with which it started.

The Station cannot be regarded as the exclusive property of any special class. It has a wide scope, and aims to benefit all who will mingle thought with work. Through its teaching, practice may obtain the benefit which science can confer, and science may be guided into broader fields of usefulness under the suggestive needs that only practice can point out.

WILLIAM R. LAZENBY,

Director.

REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF FIELD EXPERIMENTS.

EXPERIMENTS IN WHEAT CULTURE.

The experiment plots of wheat were almost a total failure the past year from the unprecedented severity of the winter.

The general appearance of the work was never better than during the fall of 1884, but, unfortunately, the field lay bare of snow, and in an exposed situation, so that wind and frost had a fair chance to do their worst. The plants were not heaved or broken, and this led us to hope that many would revive with the spring rains, but in this we were disappointed, except in a few instances as hereafter noted.

As early as practicable one-half of each plot was harrowed and rolled, but without any effect. From a large majority of the plants new roots started, but the vitality was so much exhausted, and the spring weather being unfavorable, there was no growth above ground, and they were soon entirely dead. Several examinations of the ground in early spring, showed that the frost had penetrated two and one-half to three feet deep.

The wheat fields of the University Farm Department were only a short distance from the experiment field, situated on the Olentangy bottom, except one field which extended a short distance on the upland. The crop on these fields was quite good, not up to the average produced here, but much better than the average of the State. In the spring the plants on these fields appeared to be frozen nearly or quite as bad as on the experiment plots, but they very soon showed signs of vitality, and produced yields as hereafter given. The difference in elevation between the upland and lowland is 30 to 50 feet. The soil of the upland is a brownish gray clay loam. The bottom land is a black loam and alluvial deposit, which scarcely ever suffers from lack of moisture. The soil of the experiment field is quite apt to suffer from this cause.

The bottom fields had some slight protection from a fringe of forest trees along the river. The yields from the fields of the farm were as follows:

It did not occur to us in the early spring to examine the bottom fields to see how deep they were frozen. We do not offer any one special reason for the different results of these fields situated so nearly together, but have set forth the points of difference in the conditions of each. In some localities upland wheat survived and lowland wheat was destroyed, and vice versa. It is proba ble that the amount of moisture, and the exposure to and severity of the winds are important factors in the question.

Of the Station's variety experiments in large plots, but one produced any appreciable crop. This was Russian May; a variety not noticeable for any

especially good qualities. It somewhat resembles Finley. It had about 15 per cent. of a stand and yielded 11 pounds of wheat from of an acre. The straw was too weedy to be weighed. This plot was in the most exposed part of the field. Two other plots near the fence, and at times protected by snow, produced a few bundles of wheat. Of this small yield no notice was taken.

Velvet Chaff in the same series of plots, was entirely destroyed, yet produced a partial crop in other parts of the field, as will appear further on. The varieties sown in small plots which made any stand at all are here noted:

Alabama, just a few stalks.

Big Frame, about 40 per cent.
Blue Stem, about 30 per cent.
Canada Club, just a few stalks.
Golden Drop, about 5 per cent.
Hicks, few stalks.

Hungarian White Chaff, few stalks.
Menonite, about 40 per cent.

Red Chaff, about 5 per cent.

Red May, about 8 per cent.
Rice, few stalks.

Rickenbrod, few stalks.

Russian May, about 50 per cent.

Siberian, about 80 per cent.

Small Frame, 40 per cent.

Yellow Missouri, about 30 per cent.

Zimmerman, about 90 per cent.

The ordinary plot of Zimmerman was entirely destroyed, while the plot resulting from the best selections of two previous years produced nearly full

crop.

All other selections aside from this were entirely lost, so also were the plants from crosses made the previous season.

Aside from Zimmerman just mentioned, the most noticeable stand was Siberian. This is a late not especially promising wheat, but made a remarkable record when almost everything was destroyed around it. We were able to re-sow nearly all our former list of varieties this fall and added to it a large number of new ones. The special work with varieties will be further noticed after a brief discussion of the field plots.

This prac

None of the plots of fertilizer-work were cut separately, the best stand being only about two per cent. of a crop. It was particularly noticeable that where fresh horse manure was used not a stalk appeared. Where composted manures were used there was in each instance a slight stand. The animal manures were all applied as a top dressing, at the rate of 16 tons per acre. tically amounted to a light mulch. Of the special manures, occasionally one plot appeared to show some slight advantage over another, but this was not sufficiently marked to admit of any conclusions to be drawn. Incidental differences of soil, drainage, etc., must always be considered as elements of variableness in field experiments.

In the case of the plot treated with horse manure, above mentioned, the destruction was so complete as to leave little doubt about the manure helping to produce the result. This plot was one of the most rank in fall growth, and those who read the Station report for 1884 will remember that the plot treated with fresh horse manure produced the maximum yield of wheat. No doubt the vigorous fall growth made the plants of this plot more tender than those of others.

THICK AND THIN SEEDING.

The work in thick and thin seeding made sufficient stand to warrant the harvesting of the plots separately. The per cent. of stand seems to have been greater or less according as there was a greater or less amount of seed used. The crop was very slight on the thinnest sown plots, but all were cut and threshed that the record might be as complete as possible. The yields were as follows from -acre plots:

One comparison will show that the rate of increase in yield was greater than the rate of increase in seed.

The increase in seed used on plots one to eight was 450 per cent., and the increase of yield is .06 per cent.

The straw of these plots was not weighed on account of being very weedy. From previous tests we should unhesitatingly say that four pecks of seed is a sufficient quantity per acre, if the soil is in proper condition and there are no exceptional climatic conditions; the inference is quite plain from the foregoing table that the increased amount of plants per acre acted as a protection and enabled a greater per cent. of the plants to survive.

This, however, is no conclusive argument in favor of thick seeding, as in the case above, nine pecks per acre failed to produce more than one fourth of a crop. To attempt to overcome exceptional climatic conditions by heavy seeding would not be advisable.

Perhaps the only occasion where thick seeding can be recommended is where a farmer so poorly prepares his soil that part of the seed will not have an opportunity to grow, or where poor seed is used.

None of the plots in methods of culture or early and late seeding were harvested. Of the latter, plots sown as late as October 6 stood as well as those sown earlier. Velvet Chaff variety was used throughout all the general work.

SPECIAL STUDY OF VARIETIES.

This

The Station has not heretofore discussed the origin of wheat or the history of its many varieties, considering it more curious than practical. Much has been done, however, in the way of collecting as many varieties as possible and cultivating them under similar conditions for comparison and study. we think is of importance and may result in much good. There is no doubt that many of the variety names are local names for the same wheat, or that many of the varieties have come into existence through the local influence of climate and culture, changing the characteristics as to color, etc. The vast number of varieties which could now be collected from different sources in this