H.—29b

12

Seed-grain Dissemination. —The Agronomy Department (the department versed in the science and management of the land) has developed a number of avenues through which it has been possible for it to disseminate the pedigreed and selected grains which it has found best adapted to the varying conditions in the State. Tho main channel of this dissemina'tioii-work is the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Association. In 1914 1,500 members of this association co-operated with the college in testing the grains and forage plants on their farms before the seed was disseminated. The appointment of a field inspector to examine the condition of growing grain has greatly improved the quality of the seed product. The members of the Agronomy Department aid in this work. A large amount of acclimated seed is also distributed by the department. Over four hundred farmers carried out tests with barley, maize, oats, peas, ryecorn, soy beans, spring wheat, or winter wheat. Through the medium of the schools contests have been held. Ba/ikers' Seed-grain Contests. —Through the medium of the State Bankers' Association, one of the most fruitful co-operative enterprises in which the Wisconsin Experiment Station has been engaged has been developed. For several years pure-seed contests have been held under (he auspices of the local banks in the several communities. In 1914 sixteen such contests were held. Not only have these meetings been very helpful in the dissemination of improved seeds, but the co-operation of the business man and the farmer has aided much in the development of the community spirit. In 1913 there was started the Wisconsin Bankers' Farm Bulletin, and this has been continued by the State association. Members of the college staff write the material for such a publication, which is issued monthly, and 30,000 copies per month have been distributed by ninety different banks. Young People's Grain Contests. —For nine years grain-contest work has been carried on by the State Agronomy Department, county superintendents of schools, and county fairs. The interest developed in these contests continues to increase from year to year in no uncertain way. Through the provision of the Lever Bill, which is explained and dealt with further on under the heading "Agricultural Extension Service," this development has received a great impetus. Thirty-four contests were held in 1914 in thirty different counties. Sufficient seed was sent out to supply 12,200 young people with grains for small-plot work. Professor Moore informed me that for the coming season he expected that fully 25,000 young people would participate. The winners in these county contests are given scholarships which defray their expenses in attending boys' courses at the university during the farmers' week. Last year 154 boys were thus brought together for a week's work at Madison. For the coming year efforts have been made to emphasize the acre contests of maize, barley, (fee., and those who have been in quality contests in the past will be encouraged to grow in the yield contests. The seetls for these acre contests are pedigreed varieties tried out at the college, and are supplied free. The are all sons of farmers living on farms, and under sixteen years of age. The boys have to send a report to the college re cost of growing, &c. Then they exhibit the product at the county fair in the fall, and the boy making the best exhibit gets his expenses paid and a scholarship to attend the college for the short, course, which is for two years of fourteen weeks' duration. Weed-eradication. —It has been found that co-operation with farmers in weed-eradication can be secured only by educational demonstration. This is effected mainly through the county representative or agent, whose status and duties are dealt with further on, and some of the members of the Experiment Association arranging for co-operative work to be done on farms where the progress of the work could be closely followed. During the past year thirty-seven co-operative trials in nineteen counties have been carried out, devoted particularly to couch-grass and Canadian or Californian thistle (the former name is the correct one to use). Lucerne Work. —The importance of lucerne, and the fact that the great majority of farmers have had no first-hand experience with this forage plant, has made it quite essential that thorough trials should be carried out in order to determine the most suitable methods of cultivation and management. The propaganda work with reference to this forage plant has been rapidly extended through the organization of the Alfalfa Ortler of the Experiment Association. This association began three years ago with a charter membership of twenty-one; there are now over fifteen hundred paid-up members enrolled. Through this agency it has been possible to secure widespread co-operation in many problems of importance to the cultivation and handling of the crop. Last season there were 1,120 co-operative field tests. A feature of the operations of the association is the co-operative buying of lucerne-seed for its members. During tire year over 60,000 lb. were disseminated in this way, at a saving of from Bs. to 12s. per bushel on the price of seed, while at the same time seed of uniform quality and of definite varieties was secured. White-grub Control. —This pest has assumed such ominous proportions in recent years in many parts of the State that the Legislature in 1913 made a special appropriation for remedial work to be done by the Nursery and Orchard Inspection Service. Through posters and Press bulletins, information regarding the effect of early ploughing, summer fallowing, and rotation of crops has been given. Considerable relief can be secured by the exercise of these preventive measures. Experiments were also instituted with trap-lanterns to catch the adult beetles which are the mature insects producing the white grub. By means of brilliant lanterns of over 300 candle-power suspended over containers of kerosene and water it has been possible to catch hundreds of thousands of the adult beetle. Community Live-stock Breeding Associations. —This movement has attained such vast proportions that Wisconsin is regarded as the leading State in the Union for organized community breeding operations. Ninety-one associations are now organized and banded together for better animals and better methods of management of live-stock. At thirteen association meetings lectures