and Exhibition at Surabaya, Java, held in July, 1911. The Fiber Congress itself was the first international gathering that has been held for the general discussion of the production of plant fibers. The subjects were ably discussed by men who for the most part are actually engaged in operating fiber plantations and who therefore have an intimate knowledge of the many problems met with in the industry and also the many practical ways in which these problems are solved.

GRAIN STANDARDIZATION.

The results of the grain-standardization investigations pertaining to the methods of harvesting, handling, transporting, storing, and grading grain have been of unusual interest and value during the year. In this work special attention has been given to the methods. of handling grain on the farm, in elevators and warehouses, and by transportation companies, including a study of the changes which take place in grain while in storage or during transit in cars or steamships, together with a study of the relative value of the factors taken into consideration by grain dealers and the manufacturers of grain products in fixing values and grades of commercial grain. These investigations have likewise included some preliminary work in the rice fields of Louisiana and Texas on the methods of handling and grading rough rice, with a view of reducing the immense losses now experienced in handling this important crop.

Continued investigations during the year have fully confirmed the conclusions originally drawn that moisture is the most dangerous factor in the handling of commercial grain. Extensive experiments made to determine the natural shrinkage of grain when handled in elevators or warehouses or while in transit in cars have shown losses in weight due to the evaporation of moisture ranging from one-tenth of 1 per cent to more than 7 per cent.

Detailed tests of more than 10,000 representative samples have shown that a very high percentage of the 1911 crop of corn contained more than 20 per cent of water at the time of marketing, thus emphasizing the urgent need of better methods of handling grain on the farm and of growing types of corn that will mature sufficiently early to permit the grain to be marketed in a dry, sound, and more satisfactory condition. The degree of deterioration in corn alone, due primarily to excessive moisture, results in a loss equivalent to more than a million dollars annually, much of the corn handled commercially becoming musty, sour, hot, and badly damaged.

During the latter part of the year an informal invitation was extended to grain exporters and representatives of railroad and steamship companies interested in the handling of export grain to participate in an informal conference at the department for the

purpose of discussing the results of special observations on seven cargoes of export corn aggregating more than one and one-half million bushels. This invitation met with a most cordial response, and the 29 delegates present took an active part in discussing the results of these investigations, with a view of improving the quality and conditions of American export grain.

SEED-TESTING LABORATORIES.

On account of the provision for seed testing made by State laws in North Carolina and Nebraska, cooperation with these States has been discontinued, and two new laboratories are being opened in connection with the agricultural experiment stations in California and Louisiana, the laboratories in Missouri, Oregon, and Indiana being continued.

Hairy-vetch seed, which has this year for the first time been collected for examination for adulterants, was frequently found to contain seed of cultivated varieties of spring vetch, the latter generally being useless for fall sowing on account of winterkilling. An examination of the hairy-vetch seed-growing section of northern Germany and northwestern Russia shows that on account of the difference in time of ripening it is impossible to harvest seed of cultivated forms of spring vetch and hairy vetch together, the former being used as an adulterant. The Vicia villosa seed originating in the Baltic Provinces occurs as a volunteer in winter rye and is separated as cleanings from the rye.

PROGRESS IN CORN INVESTIGATIONS.

Requests for information concerning the corn crop, received by the department, were much greater in number and variety than during any previous year. In cooperation with interested farmers in many of the principal corn-growing States work is in progress which has as its object the development of higher yielding strains of corn. In connection with this work demonstrations are made of methods of breeding, methods of seed selection and preservation, methods of planting and cultivating, as well as tests of soil preparation and tests of cover crops. This cooperative work with individual farmers has resulted in the development of a number of higher yielding strains of corn and in stimulating throughout the localities an interest in better methods and higher acre yields. In a number of instances this work has resulted in a very noticeable increase in the production of corn per acre throughout the community.

There is perhaps no other crop capable of giving so profitable a return from both investigation and demonstration work. The past

season's work shows more plainly how very responsive this crop is to judicious treatment and how very little we have systematically studied its requirements. When the conclusive demonstrations conducted during the year in a few localities are conducted in many localities, a sufficient percentage of corn growers will profit by the demonstrations to cause a general improvement in the acre yield of

corn.

CEREAL IMPROVEMENT.

Adaptation and breeding work with all the cereals has been continued during the year with special emphasis on the production of hardier and more drought-resistant varieties and strains. The superiority of many of the drought-resistant cereals was markedly shown in localities where drought was severe. The Turkey and Kharkof varieties of winter wheats did especially well, while Swedish Select oats and Ghirka spring wheat showed much superiority over less resistant varieties. The total production of the Kharkof wheat in the United States must be at least 40,000,000 bushels. Durum wheat continued to be the leading grain crop in the dry wheat-producing sections of the West and Northwest, where winter varieties are not yet dependable. The use of durum wheat flour is steadily increasing, and this product can now be purchased in a number of eastern cities. The season's work has furnished some good results with proso millets, particularly under irrigation, but also under dry-land conditions. Emmer, because of its better adaptation, still gives evidence of being a valuable crop in localities a little too dry for other stock food, such as oats and barley.

For the work in dry-land grain investigations two new experiment farms have been added, one at Burns, Oreg., and one at Aberdeen, Idaho. These farms will be managed in cooperation with the experiment stations of these States. During the year, for the first time, experiments with grains under irrigation have been undertaken. These experiments are conducted at points where it is possible to compare the results obtained with similar varieties under dryfarming conditions.

The grain sorghums are proving increasingly important as stock foods for dry-land areas. The dwarf and early varieties, such as Dwarf milo, Dwarf Blackhull kafir, Sudan durra, and the kowliangs which have been bred and distributed by this department are giving surer yields under conditions of greater drought than were formerly possible. They also permit the extension of these grains into more northern States, as South Dakota, Idaho, and Oregon.

In rice investigations in the South special attention has been given to solving the problem of controlling red rice by proper rotations and cultivation. In California experiments with rice were conducted at nine different points, and the results already obtained indicate

that commercial rice production may be possible on large areas in the Sacramento Valley and on smaller areas in the San Joaquin Valley. Preliminary irrigation experiments with rice show the probability of obtaining more profitable yields of this crop with much less irrigation water than is commonly used. Promising results have also been obtained in the investigation of growing rice without irrigation on the prairies of Florida. Experiments with Arlington Awnless winter barley have progressed with considerable success. Seed of this hybrid has been sent to all the experiment stations in the South and West where winter barley would likely be adapted, and in many cases excellent success has been reported. Owing to its high stooling qualities this variety gives promise of becoming very productive.

DRY-LAND AGRICULTURE INVESTIGATIONS.

Another year of severe drought throughout a considerable portion of the Great Plains region has shown the value of the investigations in crop rotations and cultivation methods in this area. These investigations have shown that, while much may be accomplished in the way of moisture conservation by proper methods of cultivation, none of the much-advertised methods and "systems" which have been so vigorously exploited through the public press can insure crops against droughts as severe as those experienced at some of the stations during the last two seasons. At those stations where the drought was less severe some remarkable differences in yields were obtained where proper methods of cultivation and crop sequence were followed. The results of the past season's investigations strongly confirm the tentative conclusions published in Bulletin No. 187 of the Bureau of Plant Industry. They also disclose several new problems which demand solution and which will be attacked during the coming season. The high appreciation of this line of work by those interested in the agricultural development of the Great Plains was evidenced by the substantial increase in the appropriations made by the last Congress for its development and extension. The Comptroller of the Treasury has ruled, however, that, owing to a slight defect in the last appropriation act, the funds appropriated" for the investigation and improvement of methods of crop production under semiarid or dryland conditions" can not be used for the erection of buildings necessary for carrying on these investigations at the field stations. It is hoped that the next Congress will remedy this defect early in its session, in order that the current appropriations may be used for this purpose. If this is done, active operations will be begun at several new stations early in the coming spring. These stations are located in Fall River County, S. Dak.; near Tucumcari, N. Mex.; and in the southern portion of the Panhandle of Texas. It is absolutely essential to the development of this important line of investigations that

suitable buildings be erected, and unless the funds already appropriated are made available for this purpose the contemplated extension can not be made until July 1, 1912, thus causing the loss of an entire season's work at these new stations. Such a delay at this time would be very unfortunate, as these stations are in localities where the drought has been very severe for the last two seasons and the settlers are therefore in urgent need of all the assistance that can be given. them by this department.

WORK OF THE FIELD STATIONS AT THE RECLAMATION PROJECTS.

The opening of the reclamation projects to settlement has disclosed many problems of a local character which must be solved before these projects can be brought to their highest state of productiveness. In order to assist in the development of this region, the department has established experimental farms upon the following projects: Yuma (Arizona, California), Truckee-Carson (Nevada), Umatilla (Oregon), Huntley (Montana), North Platte (Nebraska), Williston (North Dakota), and Bellefourche (South Dakota). Experiments to determine the tillage methods and crop rotations best adapted to the conditions constitute an important part of the work at these stations. Special attention also is given to the utilization of native forage and fruit plants and to the testing of special crops that seem peculiarly fitted to the different conditions.

Irrigated regions present problems in plant nutrition and crop production that are not met elsewhere. A marked diminution in yield after cultivation for a few years is by no means an uncommon experience in irrigated regions. These troubles are often the result of the translocation of the large amount of soluble material that is usually present in irrigated lands, but there appear to be other causes not well understood which give rise to a condition of malnutrition in the growing crop. Particularly is this to be seen in the case of irrigated orchards. It is highly desirable to undertake at once a comprehensive investigation of the conditions giving rise to malnutrition of crop plants in irrigated regions if we wish to maintain our irrigated lands in a high state of productiveness.

Some serious pathological problems have also developed on some of the projects, notably a disease of the potato which has proved very disastrous on the North Platte (Nebraska) project. These problems are undoubtely closely associated with the time and manner of applying irrigation water and also with the quantity of water applied. The previous crop grown upon the land seems also to be an important factor in causing these diseases to develop. These various problems and their interrelation are to be carefully studied through cooperation among the several offices of the Bureau of Plant Industry having charge of the respective lines of investigation.