LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. RENO, Nevada, January 31, 1894. To His Excellency, R. K. Colcord, Governor of Nevada: SIR-In accordance with the provisions of the Congressional Act establishing the Stations, and with the statutes of Nevada, I have the honor to transmit to you the sixth annual report of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, said report containing the financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, and the general operations of the Station for the year ending December 31, 1893. Very respectfully, GEO. H. TAYLOR, Secretary of the Board of Control. DIRECTOR'S REPORT. OFFICE OF DIRECTOR NEVADA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, To the Board of Control of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station: GENTLEMEN-I have the honor to present herewith my report for the year ended December 31, 1893, with the reports of the other members of the Station Staff and the financial report of the Treasurer. The Station Staff has remained the same as one year ago. It has held regular meetings on the second Saturday of each month, with the exception of a short time during the summer, when some members were away. At these meetings various lines of investigations and experiments and the general work of the Station have been thoroughly discussed. Last summer a large two-story tool house was erected on the Station farm, which is fully described in the report of the Agriculturist. The buildings on the farm now consist of the foreman's residence, grain and seed house, tool house for housing farm implements, stable and dry house for curing tobacco. They are good buildings except the dry house, which was an old dwelling house and is illy-adapted to its present use. Our tobacco, for the two seasons we have experimented with it, has made good growth but the curing of it has not been a success. Four years ago quite a number of apple trees and grape vines were planted. These have grown well and are in a particularly thrifty condition, especially the apple trees. During the fall a large amount of manure was secured and drawn onto the farm, which will materially aid in future experiments. Early last spring, at my request, the head of each department furnished an outline of work for the season in his department. These outlines were carefully considered and approved. That the Board of Control may more fully understand the work done, it has been thought best to insert them in this report. OUTLINES OF WORK. Department of Agriculture and Horticulture. EXPERIMENTS FOR 1893. First. Wheat, thick and thin seeding; seven quarter acre plats; sown at the rate of 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 pounds per acre; using White Australian, one of the best milling varieties for seed, Nevada grown. Second. Twenty-seven varieties of wheat, six from Canada; onefortieth of an acre each; variety test for this region. White Australian, one-eighth of an acre each; test for vitriol and grain without vitriol. Third. Wheat, irrigation; one-fortieth of an acre each, grown with two, three and four and five irrigations; test for amount of water necessary for a crop. WHEAT AND OATS.-Without irrigation; continuation of test of 1892; two varieties of wheat; two, of oats, sown in duplicate plats, one-fortieth of an acre each. Portion of each plat sown with grain, grown in 1892, without irrigation. OATS.-Chinese Hulless; seventeen-twentieths of an acre sown for seed; one-half acre; variation in quantity of seed (one-fourth of an acre, rate of thirty-two pounds per acre; one-fourth, forty pounds per acre); oats, varieties; fifteen in number, six recently from Canada. OATS.-Excelsior and Highbred; one-fourth of an acre each; onesixteenth of an acre each variety sown at rate of forty-eight pounds per acre; one-sixteenth of an acre sown at rate of sixty-four pounds per acre. POTATOES.-Test of varieties. Spraying seed; after dropping, with Bordeaux mixture; dipping seed in same mixture; trial for blight preventative. One of the best varieties; irrigation; small plats, varying the number of irrigations; working towards an answer to the question: What is the least number of irrigations that will produce a profitable crop? Different depths of planting; different amounts of seed; different distances between hills; different dates of planting. BARLEY.-Thirteen varieties will be grown. Hulless varieties, especially Nos. 1 and 2, in greater quantity than other numbers. PEAS.-One-eighth of an acre more in quantity than usual, as there has been some call for information in regard to the pig-feeding qualities of this crop. Several varieties recommended for cooking. SUGAR BEETS.—Varieties, eighteen in number, will be tried; varying irrigations. Distribution of seed to farmers, with printed suggestions on cultivation and seventeen questions for answers. CORN.-Test of field and garden varieties; Pride of the North in quantity allowed by extent of grounds. Tests for checking corn Worni. TOBACCO.-Test of best varieties for growth; curing; so far as apparatus will permit. Tests will be made with different varieties of cabbage, tomatoes and egg plant. Experiment with canary seed and flax, sorghum, squash, pumpkin, lettuce, grasses, jute, vetch, hemp, lentils, broom corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, teosinte, white milo maize, Jerusalem corn. FRUIT.-Notes will be continued on growth and general appearance of trees. Notes on fruit; color, size, quality, flavor. PLASTER.Sowing of 15 pounds per acre in growing alfalfa. Department of Chemistry. First.-Analyses of soil samples. Second.-Analyses of sugar beets and alfalfa for feeding value. Third. Investigation of alfalfa vs. meadow grass as a producer of albuminoids in milk. To be carried on in co-operation with the Reno creamery. The apparent lack of caseine in alfalfa-fed cow's milk, as demonstrated by recent analysis of Reno creamery products, has led to this investigation. Fourth. Work for the Association of A. A. C. on sugars, milk, cheese and butter; nitrogen methods. This work is for checking and verifying the Association methods of analysis. Fifth.-General routine work on agricultural products of all kinds for citizens of Nevada. In this connection it may be said that this laboratory is receiving more and more calls for this kind of work. Sixth.-Calling attention to alkali in soils, and giving remedies for neutralizing the same. This to appear in a newspaper bulletin calling, at the same time, for samples of alkali for the determination of its form, thus enabling us to prescribe remedies for each particular case. Seventh.-Publication of bulletins upon the second and third sections after the work is completed. Department of Entomology and Botany. First.-Experiments to demonstrate the efficiency of London. purple and Paris green in preventing damage to apples by the codlin moth. To consist of the spraying of an orchard that has heretofore been badly infested. Second. Experiments with various insecticides upon the San Jose scale. To determine what will prevent its spread. Third. The study of the life history of various insects. Fourth. The study of weeds, with especial reference to their seed characters. This work is in preparation of a number of bulletins treating of these weeds in such manner as shall enable one to identify his seed when found mixed with other seed. The work has been in progress for a long time. Fifth. Collection of plants and insects. A complete representative collection of the plants of the Truckee valley is in process of formation. This demands the frequent use of a horse and wagon or bicycle and the absence for short periods of the botanist, as he must make a thorough personal survey of the territory named. This work embodies especial attention given to those grasses found growing voluntarily about the "sagebrush." General. In addition to the other lines of work, something has been done in bacteriology. Quite an amount of necessary apparatus was purchased, among which was a large incubator, or thermostat, after Koch,; large steam sterilizer, with condensing arrangement and set of Schimmelsbusch kettles; hot-air sterilizer, small blood serum sterilizer and inspissator, assortment of bacteriological flasks, tubes, pipettes, dishes, etc.; moist chambers for plate cultures and potato cultures; leveling stand, plates, racks, refrigerator, thermometers, small collection of books, etc.; compound microscope, with high and low power objectives, microscopical accessories, hardening agents, staining fluids, etc. Professor Miller of the University kindly consented to take up the bacteriological work, and particularly the investigation of a disease prevailing among the cattle and horses of western Nevada, leading to the diagnosis of anthrax. The work extended over several counties in a number of herds, and in several stables, and embraced the subsidiary investigation in other lines, yet related to the subject. He prepared and distributed a newspaper bulletin and circulars upon the nature of the disease, causes favoring its dissemination and methods to be observed for its suppression or control. The Station made very creditable exhibits at the World's Fair in Chicago, the State Fair in Reno and the District Fair in Carson. Quite an extensive exhibit has been prepared for the Midwinter Fair in San Francisco. All persons connected with the Station have worked faithfully. to advance its interests, and have been fairly successful. Respectfully submitted, STEPHEN A. JONES, Director. |