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should first write to the Experiment Station and get blanks and directions for taking samples.

Parcels by express, to receive attention, should be prepaid.

The Station offices and laboratory are in the Station Building, corner of Main St. and University Place. The Station farm is in South Burlington. The Station has telephone connection and may be spoken from the Central Telephone Office and any Hotel in Burlington, and from the Telephone Stations at Essex Junction, Georgia, Milton, St. Albans, Williston, Winooski and Montpelier.

W. W. COOKE, Director,
Burlington, Vt.

Address all communications, not to any individual officer, but to the Agricultural Experiment Station, Burlington, Vt.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR.

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The law creating the Vermont State Agricultural Experiment Station placed it under the charge of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. The University at once turned over to the uses of the Station the large brick building formerly occupied by the Medical Department, thus furnishing ample room for the offices and laboratories of the Station, but owing to the limited appropriation, two rooms only were fitted up at first for its use. The first appropriation dated from Dec. 1st, 1886. By March 1st, 1887, a chemical laboratory had been furnished, well equipped throughout for agricultural investigation, and active work was commenced.

This report covers the first twelve months of the actua work of the Station, ending March 1st, 1888.

The sampling and analysis of commercial fertilizers licensed for sale in the State has necessarily occupied a large part of the attention of the Station during the past year.

each brand,

As required by law, at least three samples have been drawn of from places widely separated in the State, so that the average of these shall represent as fairly as possible the average quality of the goods. In all, about 125 different samples of licensed fertilizers have been drawn and analyzed. In addition to this, the Station has analyzed various fertilizing materials, as follows: Mixed fertilizers, 9 samples, Bone Meal, 9 samples,

Agricultural chemicals, 8 samples,
Minerals, 5, Ashes, 3, samples,

Muck, 2 samples,

Farm-yard manure, 3, samples,

Miscellaneous, 4.

As the Station had no farm of its own, it was necessary that any field or feeding experiments undertaken should be conducted on the farms of others. In answer to a request

published in the newspapers of the State, many farmers gave us the use of their land and equipments, and the Station desires to express here its thanks to the farmers who have so generously aided it in its investigations. Three general lines of work were laid out for these experiments on the various farms throughout the State:

1. An experiment with fertilizers, to answer the question whether South Carolina rock and bone-black in their undissolved form could be profitably used by farmers as a fertilizer for the hay crop.

2. Tests of new fodder plants, the following varieties being tried: Alfalfa, Cowpea, Seradella, Winter Vetch, Spring Vetch and Yellow Lupine.

3. Feeding experiments with milch cows, to determine the effect of various rations on the quantity and quality of the milk.

4. Besides these, the Station has made numerous analyses. of various feeding materials, some at the request of farmers in the State, and others in connection with the feeding and field experiments above mentioned. In the following pages will be found a more detailed account of the work.

The Station has issued seven bulletins during the year, as follows:

No. 1. Analyses of Licensed Fertilizers. Issued March 31 1887.

1887.

No. 2. Analyses of Licensed Fertilizers. Issued June 30,

No. 3.

No. 4.

Seradella.

Analyses of Bone Meal. Issued August 11, 1887. Field and Feeding Experiments with Cowpea and Issued November 22, 1887.

No. 5. The Availability of the Nitrogen in Fertilizers.. Issued January 23, 1888.

No. 6. Analyses of Ashes, Bone Meal and Licensed Fertilizers. Issued February 27, 1888.

No. 7. Report of the Meeting of Agriculturists to consider the work of the Station under the provisions of the Hatch Bill. Issued March 1, 1888.

Under the Hatch Bill the Station will hereafter receive $15,000 a year. This will enable it to increase the scope and

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