Department of Botany and Entomology.

To the Director:

SIR: I have the honor to transmit a brief report upon the work of the Department of Botany and Entomology for the year ending December 31, 1894:

The work in botany has been directed largely to the study of the native flora, with the ultimate purpose of gaining a better knowledge of its relation to its climatic, soil and other surroundings than heretofore has been at our command. To this end field and office work has been in constant progress during the year excepting a month's absence of the writer.

In the field studies especial attention has been given to the local geographical distribution of our wild plants; to such physical conditions of soil and surroundings as was possible; and to the more apparent effects of these conditions exhibited by the plants under observation. This work has been a continuation of the labor of former years, as it must continue to be to insure results of value, and has added very materially to the information already in possession of the writer.

By way of preliminary report upon the work, considerable time and labor has been devoted to the preparation of a descriptive list of the commoner early plants of the region studied. This is

presented in Bulletin No. 24, "Early Flora of the Truckee Valley." A report upon the relation of these plants to their climatic and geological surroundings could not be issued with profit at this time. More prolonged and extended study will be required for this, the principal department of the work in hand.

In addition to the information necessarily coming to the writer in the pursuit of these studies, the collections in the Station herbarium have been sufficiently augmented to now contain representatives of nearly all the plants of the territory worked over. Two excursions into the Sierra Nevada Mountains at different points have added a considerable number of representatives of the mountain flora.

Of our introduced weeds several are seemingly becoming more wide-spread. Notably among these is the prickly lettuce, which as a dangerous weed has recently received attention from the General Government. The writer first observed this plant in 1892, when it was found growing along the Central Pacific track. It is now generally distributed within the Truckee Valley, occupying not only roadsides, but many fields under recent cultivation. The introduced pig weed, "Lambs quarters," grows here luxuriently and spreads easily, seemingly responding to this climate much more readily than does a smaller indigenuous representative of the same genus. The common dandelion, said to have been unknown in this region in the early years of the State, and still unknown in many localities; is now very common in the Truckee Valley and is noticeably extending its range yearly.

These and many other cases point clearly to the fact that our flora is not fixed; also that many introduced plants find our climate and soil even more congenial to their existence than do their close native relatives.

Upon the acquisition of the proposed increase of room allotted to the department, also of the necessary equipment, it is hoped that the subject of vegetable diseases of plants will receive the

recognition it deserves and has thus far failed to receive owing to the lack of laboratory facilities.

In entomology no new departures have been undertaken. Economic insects have been collected together with such data as could be obtained. The collection of insects has been placed in as protective condition as possible and further increased by the addition of material illustrating the life history of our various injurious species.

Briefly stated, it has been the aim to equip both branches of the department with such material and information as to insure reliable information upon matters pertaining to its subjects, especially those of interest within our own State; also to lay the foundation for good instruction from the department to students of the University. Respectfully submitted,

F. H. HILLMAN.

Department of Chemistry and Dairying.

To the Director:

SIR: I have the honor of submitting the following report of the Chemical Department for the year 1894:

During the past year the nature of the work done in the department has been virtually a continuation of the work of the two immediately preceding years. For the fourth season the sugar beet has been investigated with very flattering results; which confirm the work of the previous seasons and establish the fact that the climate and soil of Nevada are thoroughly adapted to the production of sucrose in the beet root.

An examination of alkali soils and soil encrustations has been begun and will be continued as samples can be procured.

Considerable has been done in the dairy line; several hundred samples of dairy products having been analyzed.

In September the Department was called upon to investigate a creamery which was running behind each month, and succeeded in reducing the losses to a minimum. During the same month the writer was invited to deliver papers before the California Dairy Association at its convention held in San Francisco. The invitation was accepted and papers presented upon "The Babcock Milk Test and Its Relation to Dairying" and "The Effect of Food Upon the Quality of Milk."

Considerable work has been done on feeding stuffs, and it is the intention of the Department to continue this work, taking up the wild grasses used for food upon our vast cattle ranges.

Investigations in connection with the Agricultural Department are under way with a view to ascertaining the best time for cutting wheat.

Since the last report Bulletins 23 and 26 have been issued; the former upon "Sugar Beets," and the latter upon "Feeding Stuffs." Several newspaper bulletins have appeared during the

year.

The Department's exhibit at the California Mid Winter Exposition showing graphically the chemical composition of milk and all its products, the composition of Alfalfa and the quantity and quality of the digestible food required to produce given effects in farm animals attracted a great deal of attention and brought forth several favorable comments by the California papers.

The great need of the Department is more room, and we trust that before the next year opens this difficulty will be obviated,

In conclusion, I wish to express my appreciation of the hearty support the Department has received from the Regents and the Director.

Respectfully submitted,

NATHANIEL E. WILSON,

Station Chemist.