PRINTING DEPARTMENT.

The work of Mr. Leland in this department has proven very satisfactory. An examination of the amount of work done shows that he has been faithful to his duties. The amount of printing for the year has been almost double that of the previous year and the expense the same. Attached hereto are detailed reports of each of the above departments.

BULLETINS AND PUBLICATIONS ISSUED DURING THE YEAR.

1st. Dairy Circular.

2d. Flax Bulletin.

3d. Sugar Beet Bulletin. 4th. Prune Bulletin.

5th. Cicuta Bulletin.

In addition to these, we have distributed to the press of the State, six press bulletins containing important discoveries and information. We have also issued for distribution to farmers desiring to experiment in beet culture, instructions for sugar beet growing and blanks for making out reports to the station.

For the coming year we have selected the following lines of work upon which to issue bulletins:

Ist.

Cheat and Clover-Departments of Agriculture and Chemistry.

2d. Twig Borers-Department of Entomology.

3d. Spraying-Departments of Horticulture and Entomology.

4th. Soils and Water-Department of Chemistry.

5th. Strawberry Pests-Department of Entomology.

6th. Apples and Pears-A comprehensive work by the departments of Horticulture, Chemistry and Entomology.

7th. Preservation of Manures-Department of Agriculture.

8th. Dairy Rations-Departments of Agriculture and Chemistry.

SUGAR BEETS.

Lectures at Portland at the Chamber of Commerce, at Forest Grove before an association of farmers, and at La Grande under the auspices of the Commercial Club of that place, at Elgin, Alicel, Summerville and Union were given by Prof. Shaw.

These lectures were for the purpose of giving special instruction in growing sugar beets. The United States Department of Agriculture provided us with a large amount of sugar beet seed for experiments and this was all carefully distributed over the State accompanied by instructions for growing, and blanks for reports to the station.

The Chamber of Commerce of Portland and an association of merchants at Medford, Oregon, provided considerable sugar beet

seed for distribution, under our supervision, so that we have extensive experiments being carried out in almost every county in the State, from which we will be enabled to formulate a complete list of statistics covering sugar beets in Oregon.

COLLEGE AND STATION.

INSTITUTES.

Extended Institutes have been held during the year at Turner, Tangent, Rowland and Hood River. All of these were well attended and intense interest was created along the lines of work discussed.

We tried an experiment of field institutes, in the horticultural interests, that proved very successful.

This plan was to visit orchards during the day and give an illustrated lecture in the evening on the subject of pests of that particular locality. This work was enthusiastically received by orchardists everywhere and the meetings were attended by large and interested audiences.

Our electric stereopticon, under Prof. Pernot's skillful management, was a great aid in giving instruction, and is a most valuable instrument in support of the second elementary purpose of the station, viz., dissemination of useful information.

Institutes of this class and character were held at Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, Hood River, The Dalles, Pendleton, La Grande and Baker City.

Interesting and valuable work in aid of horticulture by these field institutes was done in the vicinity of Salem under the auspices of the Marion County Horticulture Society. From the success that this class of institutes has met with, I do not hesitate to recommend that they be continued.

Properly organized institutes, I believe to be the very best means of placing the station work in touch with the people, and arousing an interest in the work we are doing. While it is of paramount importance to improve the station in its scientific. work, especially along the line of original investigation, it is highly important to place in the minds of the agriculturist and horticulturist the information we already possess. One of the weakest features of our station is the fact that the people of Oregon have not been properly supplied with the knowledge stored up within the station. Other States are overcoming this diffi

culty by engaging a number of both men and women in continued institute work, and I am firmly convinced that the State of Oregon can do a great and good work by following the example of these other States, and placing in the field institute organizers under the control of the experiment station and supported by the staff of station workers.

I have been able to secure free transportation for all members of the station staff over the railroad lines, and have thereby been able to do much more field work and institute work than has formerly been done, and have expended about $300.00 less for this work than was expended last year.

STATION ANNUAL INSTITUTES AND COLLEGE FARMERS' COURSE.

A four weeks' institute was carried on at the college, under the control of the station council, covering horticulture and dairying. This was attended by twenty active farmers and was a success in point of interest, and its enthusiastic indorsement by those attending is sufficient guarantee of the value of the work to recommend that it be continued. Reduced rates of transportation were secured over the railroad lines to those in attendance. Attached to this report is a complete description of the course of instruction.

RELATION OF THE COLLEGE AND STATION TO DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

There should be some bond of sympathy or strong relationship existing between this institution and the district schools of the State. The scientific ability of this station should be used in some way to create an interest on the part of the pupils of the district schools, in the problems of rural life.

If the spirit of original investigation or nature study can be inaugurated in the country schools, a great good can be done in the line of investigation as well as in the dissemination of useful knowledge.

The continued requests for information regarding the most common insect pests of the State, such as Wooly and Green Aphis, San Jose Scale, etc., has led me to believe that the introduction of nature study into the country district schools would be a means of rendering most valuable aid to horticulture. Work of this kind must be done by our sceintific men and can be made a branch of institute work and executed by institute workers. Whatever

expense is attached to it should be provided for out of funds.coming from the State.

I submit this matter to your consideration, hoping that it will meet with your indorsement. Every prominent educator in the State to whom the plan has been submitted, gives it hearty in-. dorsement.

I have no recommendations to make in the other departments at this time.

Respectfully submitted.

H. B. MILLER,

Director Experiment Station.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

The Agricultural Experiment Station of Oregon in account with the United States, for the year ending June 30, 1897.

DR.

To receipts from the Treasurer of the United States as per appropria tion for fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, as per Act of Congress approved March 2, 1887.

Ск.

$15.000 00

REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURIST.

President H. B. Miller, Director of the Experiment Station:

SIR: Permit me to hand you a report of Station work in the Departments of Agriculture and Dairying for the year ending June 30, 1897.

The work of this department has been conducted chiefly along the lines indicated at the beginning of the year.

BULLETINS AND PUBLICATIONS.

In conjunction with the department of chemistry Dairy Circular No. 1 was published early in the year. This circular contains 32 pages, and has served as an introduction to future experimental work along this line, as well as that of furnishing much valuable information to the dairymen of the State.

This circular was followed by Bulletin No. 43 on Flax Culture. This publication contains 26 pages and several cuts made by Prof. E. F. Pernot. This bulletin, as well as the dairy circular, has received many favorable comments, and has been much sought after by those who are interested in developing these special industries in the State.

In addition to these publications, I have contributed to four press bulletins and Mr. Kent to one, so that the department has been represented in all of them excepting one.

Many letters of inquiry, upon various farm topics, have been answered during the year. Several of these inquires have been answered by preparing articles for publication in some of the agricultural papers. No extra remuneration has been received for this work. I have simply taken this means of reaching a larger number of people who might be interested in the same thought, or having done so by a request from the publishers of the papers. The matter of correspondence has greatly increased during the year. As the college and station work becomes better known throughout the State this work will expand. I consider it one of the best ways, although the most arduous, of giving information on the various phases of agriculture which are more or less effected by local conditions.

INSTITUTE WORK.

As chairman of the Station Committee on Institutes I have organized and taken charge of three institutes during the year.