University of Florida - Tower / Seminole Yearbook (Gainesville, FL)

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Experiment Station Huildinc

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EXPERIMENT STATION STAFF. I H. Roles. M.S. ..... .............- Director. J. M. SCOTT. B.S. .Asst. Director and Animal Industrialist. B. F. Flow. A.M. . Plant Physiologist. J. R. WATSON, A.M. Entomologist. H. E. STEVENS, M.S. Plant Pathologist. S. E. COLLISON. M.S. - Chemist. John Belling, B.Sc. Assistant Ilotanist and Editor. O. p, B URGES, M.S. . Assistant Plant Pathologist. Seth S. Walker. M.S. Assistant Chemist. J. H. CARPENTER, B.S. Assistant Chemist John SCHNAREL Assistant Horticulturist. U. C. LOKTIN Laboratory Assistant in Entomology. F. M. O’BYRNE, A.B. . Laboratory Assistant in Plant Physiology E. G. Shaw .. Secretary. B. V. Glover st nograplu r. K. H. Graham Auditor and Hook keeper. M. CREWS.....................- Farm Foreman. MRS. G. E. Pyle .. .. Librarian. STATE NURSERY INSPECTION. E. W. Berger. Ph.P....... ................. R. C. McQi'arrik Inspector. Stenographer.

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THE EXPERIMENT STATION. The object of the Experiment Station i to conduct original research on uieful problem connected with Florida agriculture; and when these problems have been solved, to publish the finding of the research workers. In short, it is an institution for the discovering of new facts useful to agriculture, and for ublishing them so that the agricultural constituency of the tate, and. in many cases, of the world, may profit by the investigations. The compiling of agricultural information, the carrying out of demonstration work to show again the applicability of proved facta, and the holding of Farmers’ Institutes, are not proper functions of an Experiment Station. Since its foundation in 1 88, the Experiment Station ha published 24 annual reports. 113 bulletins and 206 press bulletins. The annual reports, as a whole, give a concise history of the Experiment Station, and of the progress made In different lines of investigation. During the f» cal year ending June 30, 1012, one annual report. four bulletins, and twenty pres bulletin were istued. The total number of printed pages of these three series of publication amounted to 1,$17,000. Of this number. |J tS|l0 page were distributed. A revision of the mailing list on the first of the year gave us a total of 17,693 names. The literature is distributed to every post-office in the State, reaching nearly every community in Florida, no matter how far removed from railway transportation. KTarr. The men engaged in scientific investigation at the Experiment Station were chosen specially for their fitness to do certain line of investigational work. From time to time these men have become so expert in their line that other States, more wealthy and more able to pay large salaries, have enticed them away. ’ This is rather unfortunate for Florida, but we can take comfort in the fact that the men taken away were more than mediocre in their line. The work of the staff is carried on by projects rather than by departments. For convenience in accounting, etc., various project are included under separate departmental name . A project once started is pursued until definite conclusion are reached, whether the investigations re- quire the co-operation of different departments or not; and not infrequently two. and sometimes three, investigator are working on the same problem. KxratIMENT STATION HALL. This new building, first occupied two years ago, was constructed especially for the use of the Experiment Station. For this purpose the State gave $40,000 for building and $7,500 for equipment. In constructing the building, each head of a department planned hi own laboratories, according to the needs of hi particular problems. After the laboratories had been planned individually, the plan were then assembled and grouped, so a to ensure the greatest economy in space. Finally the architect was given the task of completing the building according to the need of these different laboratories. This method has given u a building that ha been pronounced by competent authority to be the best for it purpose in the country. The illustration on another page shows the building and its surroundings. THE IIOCHCVLTl'RAL CS0VNM. The Experiment Station took charge of the e grounds in 1907. Just before this the fields had been cleared of hammock vegetation and pine growth. This left much of the land in a more or less raw state. Roads had to be laid out. the ground surveyed, and the soil reduced to agricultural consistency. The illustration on another page show what is popularly known a the Bamboo Drive. The St. Augustine grass makes an excellent turf of sufficient firmness to allow pleasure vehicles, such a car-liages and automobiles, to run over it without damage to the roadway. The roadways that are used for heavy teaming have been surfaced with clay. The illustration on the adjoining page will show the excellent condition of this material and how it may be u«cd to good effect in producing pleasing results on horticul-tural grounds. IX)SS OF FERTILIZERS.—Florida uses more fertilizer per capita than any other State in the Union. What becomes of the fertilizer when applied to the soil, is a question of paramount importance to us. It has long been known that when a fertilizer is applied to the soil for a decade or more, only a small part of it i removed in the crops taken from the soil. But a to