The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-12
Worst Reports Result
of Experimental Work

wheat plant and its relation to soil
conditions consisted mainly of chemi-
cal studies Of the various factors OF
soil fertility and exhaustion and in
volved fertilizer. rotation, cultural and
other experiments.
Numerous other activities Of the
station were supported by hatch and
state funds. The department Of horti-
culture and forestry continued selec-
ton and improvement work with vege-
tables and with native plums, to-
gether with studies of different species
of forest trees in their relation to
drought resistance and hardness.
Some work vas done On the control
of injurious insects, as well as on a
disease Of box elder and methods OF
it's treatment. OF American plum
seedlings under test, several fruited
for the first time during the past year
and produced fruit Of good size and
quality.
The botanist in addition to his
Adams fund work carried on breeding
experiments for disease resistance in
fax and on a cooperative basis con-
tinued to distribute seeds or strains
quite resistant to wilt. Considerable
attention vas given to pure-seed work
under state funds and special studies
were made of hard seeds of clover
and alfalfa with reference to methods
of treating them for more timely ger
mination. Other activities included
studies OF poisonous plants, quack
grass. dodder. various root diseases
and related subjects.
The work OF the chemical depart
ment comprised studies of wheat in
addition to those under the Adams
fund, studies of soil, effect of nitrifica-
ton, availability OF phosphates, fertil-
iser tests, n tho effect Of different
crops upon the succeeding n in the
rotation. The maintenance of soil fer
tiltty, culture experiments with sugar
beets, and the presence of prussic
feet on the health of animals also re-
ceived attention. Waters from differ
ent localities of the state were anal
wed and under special funds studies
We're made of China-wood oil, Lum-
bang oil, and soybean oil to deter
mine their value for paints and VAR
nisheS, and experiments in co-opera-
ton with this department were made
on the use of flax straw and wheat
straw for paper making,
The agricultural department in its
agronomy work continued the series OF
cropping experiments under long rota-
tions with and without livestock in re-
lation to the maintenance of soil fer
tility. IA large amount of breeding
work was done with corn, wheat, oats,
barley, clover, alfalfa and flax. and po-
tato Improvement work was carried
on by means of pure-line hill seIec-
tons. Some work was taken up on
the irrigation of crops. including the
study of the amount, time OF applica-
ttion, and the efficiency OF irrigation
water and a minor study 4 tile drain
age Wa also made.
In animal husbandry, poultry breed
ing for high egg production was con-
tinued together with the study OF the
effect Of in-and-in breeding. Atten-
ton was further given to the cost of
producing milk and pork and to the
carrying capacity of various pasture
crops.
The work of the North Dakota sta
ton in general is making favorable
progress, and the practical bearing OF,
the different lines of study is OF great
4 value to the agriculture of the state.