The first investigation of the subject of steer and heifer beef by this station was made in 1893 and reported in Bulletin No. 24. In that experiment fifteen high grade Shorthorn yearlings were used, five of which were steers, five heifers, which were spayed, and five heifers not spayed. These cattle were all purchased from Mr. A. J. Graves, a Shorthorn breeder within a few miles of the college, and were raised alike and sired by the same bull. They were put on feed January 4th, when coming two years old, and fed until the first of the following December, when they were sent to market and sold separately, each lot on its merits. They were fed alike and on the same kind of a ration from first to last, but the amount of feed was regulated to conform to the capacity of each lot.

The object of this experiment was to study the effect of the period of lactation on butter flavor. The statement is often made that it is necessary to have part of the milk from fresh cows in order to produce butter of good flavor. This subject we investigated by making a comparison of butter made from milk of fresh cows and from those so far advanced in the period of lactation, as to be termed strippers. Considerable difference of opinion exists as to when a cow may be termed a stripper. In this experiment cows that had been milked six months or more were considered strippers. The milk used was furnished by the Farm Department of the College and was the product of the farm herd. The milk was from cows of four breeds: Short-horn, Holstein, Jersey, and Red Poll.

In July 1895, Mr. D. A. Porterfield sent to the station some small beetles of this species with some twigs, showing their work and the following statement:

“They are cutting the leaves off all the Hickory and Walnut trees in Traer, and at this season of the year am it will kill the trees. * * * They have killed some shellbarks for me that are eight inches to a foot in diameter.”

The same pest has injured many trees in Manchester and other places during 1896.

This species was long ago described by Say, and its work discussed by Prof. Riley but its appearance in such destructive numbers calls for a brief notice.

The sheep industry of the United States along mutton lines, is one of growing importance. The Department of Agriculture at Washington reports 38,298,783 head in January 1896, valued at $65,167,735. The United States exported 405.748 sheep in 1895, valued at $2,630,686, and during the same year imparted 291,461 head, valued at $682,618. Analysis of these movements will show that we send fat sheep to Europe and import principally lambs from Canada and breeding sheep from England.