Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-02-24
EXPERIMENT STATION
DOES MUCH GOOD
U. s. Government Report Tells Of In.
terestlng Work Done at the Ore.
gOn Agricultural College.

In the annual report Of the Office Of
experiment stations just published by
the L. S. Department Of Agriculture
are same interesting statements Of the
work of the station at Oregon Agricul,
tural college
"ln connection wi the work on soil
teaching, the tank experiments were
continued with different types of soil
from different parts Of the state" says
the report. Various fertilizers were
studied as TO their effect on teaching,
Absorption tests were continued, sam
pies of water from the Columbia rivers
were analyzed and pot experiments
were conducted with wheat and vetch
on clay-loam and red-hill soils, with
special reference to the effects of lime
and gypsum. The work on this pro-
ject was completed and the results
we're prepared for publication.
Studies In Hops,
"The study of lupulin in hops was
continued, including its distribution in
different parts, stages Of growth, and
varieties Of the plant. The effect Of
kiln drying and the use Of different
fertilizers on the composition of hops
was also studied. Considerable study
was devoted TO the testing and i'm
provement Of methods of analysis Of
hops, especially the resins.
practically all the field work in the
project on the pollination Of the apple
and conditions affecting it was com
pleted, and the data obtained related
to sterility of varieties of apples and
pears and determination of mutual af-
fnities. This work was conducted at
Medford Hood River, Freewater, Mil
ton, and Cryallis. In this connection
attention was also given to the cause
of the stripping or banding Of fruits,
such as occurs on the apple and the
pear.
"The study of the irrigation Of fruits
in the Rogue River valley was con-
tlnued in two orchards, the number Of
trees under observation in such being
increased. The station is now read
to publish the results Of five years of
work, which has dealt with the effect
Of water on the soil, the trees, and the
fruit; the relation of water to color,
size, and yield Of fruits; and the form
alton of buds as related to the sue
ceeding crop, The station chemists
studied the composition Of apples as
Compared with those grown in the
Willamette velley without irrigation.
The Cherry Organism.
Work on gummosis Of the cherry
was pursued by the department of bot
any and plant pathology, which was
established July 1, 1910. The project
was written up as a thesis, dated June
1, 1911. A more complete description
of the organism isolated considered to
be the cause Of the disease, will be in
Cluded in the final report,
"In further study Of apple-tree an
thracnose, the perfect stage Of the or
ganism causing this trouble, was
found and the results of field work on
means Of combating the disease fav-
ored Bordeaux mixture as a fungicide
"In studying lime-sulphur spray an
effort was made to determine the in
gradients injuring the foliage and a
method of preventing their injurious
effect. The relative funglcidal and
insecticdal value of each element or
compound as we'll as their effects
upon the host plant, were studied. The
work was pursued in the laboratory
and greenhouses and in different or
chards in the Hood River district,
"A large amount Of work was done
on the incubation Of hens eggs during
the past year and data on moisture,
carbon dioxld, ventilation, and other
factors as related to size weight and
death rate Of chicks were collected.
The lime contcnLand moisture content
of the eggs were determined. and a
study was made Of the influence Of oil
from the hen on the Matching of
chicks.
"The department Of agronomy made
variety tests Of wheat, yetches, soy
beans, corn, barley, oats, and other
crops, Selections of Vlcit Satlya with
reference to protein content were
made and ear-to-row tests with corn
were conducted The irrigation work
Of the department was extended toI
cover 3 to acres with n pumping
plant Nale, bccts, potatoes, alfalfa
squash beans and rice were grown
with different amounts Of wafer ap-
piled at different times.
Strawberry Experiments.
"'rhe horticultural department CON
tinucd It's tests Of varieties Of straw
berries and undertook breeding stu
dies, $50 seedlings Of known parent
age being under observation Work
in cherry breeding was carried on to