Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 9/2/4
Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station
Research Project Records, 1905-1990, undated


Descriptive summary

creator: Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station
title: Research Project Records
dates: 1905-1990, undated
extent: 5.54 linear feet (12 document boxes and 1 card file box)
collection number: RS 9/2/4
repository: University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access: Open for research
publication rights: Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation: Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Research Project Records, RS 9/2/4, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

Established as a result of the Hatch Act of 1887, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station is the research arm of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. The Experiment Station conducts multidisciplinary research to help solve the complex agricultural problems facing scientists and farmers today. This collection contains blueprints, data, photographs, and reports related to research projects conducted by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station staff. A considerable number of early projects conducted by the Agricultural Engineering Section as well as farm crop investigations are well documented. The bulk of the collection dates from the first half of the 20th century though there are some records from the 1970s and 1980s that include information on various fields of research the Experiment Station was pursuing. This collection documents only a small fragment of the total research performed by Experiment Station staff over the years.

 

Historical note

The Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station was founded at Iowa State as a result of legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 1887. Known as the Hatch Act, the legislation provided for the funding of agricultural research at Land Grant Colleges. On March 1, 1888, the Iowa General Assembly approved the terms of the Hatch Act and the Iowa Experiment Station was established. Administrative oversight of the Experiment Station was assigned to the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State University). The Board, in turn, elected Captain R. P. Speer as the first director of the Experiment Station.

Early efforts of the Experiment Station staff involved establishing an orchard and planting experimental plots of grains, grasses, and vegetables on the campus grounds. Starting in 1888, the Experiment Station published quarterly Bulletins that described activities and results of the research conducted by the staff. Many of these results are also included in annual reports prepared by the director. In 1911, the staff, which by this time consisted of a combination of specialized researchers and a part-time teaching force, first published research bulletins and soon offered the first research fellowships.

Since its inception, the Experiment Station has existed under the auspices of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and it is not surprising that the Dean of the College also holds the title of Director of the Experiment Station. Although it serves as the research arm of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Experiment Station also supports programs in almost every other college at Iowa State and at a number of off-campus research facilities in the surrounding area. During the earliest years of its existence, Experiment Station research focused on soil, crops, horticulture, and dairying. Today, research conducted by Experiment Station staff has become over-arching in scope and multidisciplinary in practice reflecting the complexity of agricultural problems facing scientists and farmers today.

 

Collection description

This collection (1905-1990, undated) contains blueprints, data, photographs, and reports related to research projects conducted by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station staff. A considerable number of early projects conducted by the Agricultural Engineering Section are well documented including studies on farm equipment, buildings, and irrigation. Annual reports of investigations of farm crops (corn, cereal grains, and soybeans) dating primarily from the 1930s and 1940s are also included. Records from the 1970s and 1980s include information on various fields of research the Experiment Station was pursuing. A card file dating from this era provides an even greater understanding of the diverse types of projects supported by the Experiment Station.

This collection documents only a small fragment of the total research performed by Experiment Station staff over the years. The bulk of the material covers projects conducted during the first half of the 20th century.

 

Related materials

Related collections in the Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library include:

  • Collections related to the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station are classified under RS 9/2
  • Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Crop Production Machinery Investigation Annual Reports, RS 9/7/0/5
  • Department of Forestry Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Project Records, RS 9/14/5
  • Additional reports and publication may be located by searching the library website for both "Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station" and "Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station."
  •  

    Organization

    The collection is listed in alphabetical order.

     

    Container list

    Box

    Folder

    Title

    Dates

    1

    1

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No.1: Comparative Values of Alcohol and Gasoline for Power and Light

    1906-1907

    1

    2

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 2: Drainage of Ponds and Wet Areas by Means of Wells (project dropped)

    undated

    1

    3

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 2: Draft of Farm Wagons

    1905-1908

    1

    4

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 3: Drainage of Hillside Seepage

    1905-1906

    1

    5

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 4: Sewage Irrigation

    1905-1914

    Map

    Case

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 4: Sewage Irrigation: Plans and Planting Schemes for Proposed Irrigation and Drainage Experiments

    1906-1909

    1

    6

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 5: Draft of Farm Implements

    1905-1931

    1

    7

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 6: Investigation of Wind Electric Light Plants

    1909-1928

    1

    8-9

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 7: Silo Construction

    1907-1931

    1

    10

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 7: Silo Construction: Silo Inspection Trips (includes 3 b/w photographs)

    1911-1918

    1

    11

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 7: Silo Construction: Silo Inspection Trips

    1918

    1

    12

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 7a: Treatment to Make Masonry Silo Walls Impervious

    1915-1931

    1

    14

    Agricultural Engineering Sectio,n Experiment No. 7b: Silo Capacity

    1918-1930

    2

    1

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 7d: Conductivity of Silo Walls (Field Book)

    1908-1913

    2

    2-5

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8: Masonry Arch Barn Roof (includes 42 b/w photographs)

    1916-1936

    Map

    Case

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8: Masonry Arch Barn Roof: Blueprint

    1915

    2

    6

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8: Farm Structures

    1906-1925

    2

    7

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8a: Farm Houses

    1914-1921

    2

    8

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8b: Farm Barns

    1916-1922

    2

    9

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8c: Dairy Barns and Poultry Houses

    1917-1921, undated

    2

    10

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8d: Horse Barns

    1915

    2

    11

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8f: Hog House

    1914-1921, undated

    2

    12

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8h: Crop Storage

    1913-1921, undated

    2

    13

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8i: Milk Houses

    1921, undated

    2

    14

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8j: Smoke House

    1915-1921

    2

    15

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 8l: Machinery Sheds

    1921

    2

    16

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 9: Prepared Roofing Correlation Studies

    undated

    2

    17

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 9: Prepared Roofing

    1913-1932

    2

    18

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 10: Corrosion of Fence Wire (includes 7 b/w photographs)

    1908-1914, undated

    2

    19

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Experiment No. 14: Iowa Cycle Engine

    1912

    3

    1

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 15: Masonry Water Tanks (includes 19 b/w photographs)

    1932, undated

    3

    2

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 15: Masonry Water Tanks (includes 14 b/w photographs)

    1910-1929, undated

    3

    3

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 24: Masonry Barn

    1930-1936

    3

    4

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 30: Study of the Horse as a Motor (includes 17 b/w photographs)

    1921-1930, undated

    3

    5

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 30: Study of the Horse as a Motor

    1921-1929, undated

    3

    6

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 128: White Grub Investigation (see blueprint in map case)

    1931-1935

    3

    7

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 232: Studies on Soil Erosion on the Marshall Silt Loam in Page County, Iowa

    1931-1942

    3

    8

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 232: Studies on Soil Erosion on the Marshall Silt Loam in Page County, Iowa

    1931-1941, undated

    3

    9

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 392: Accuracy of 4-row Checkrowers

    1936-1937

    3

    10

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 417

    1934-1935

    3

    11

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 475: Trial of the Basin Method of Treating Pastures to Prevent Erosion, Run-off, and Loss of Fertility

    1935-1938

    3

    12

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 543: Hill Spacing of Check Planted Corn

    1936-1944

    3

    13

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 587: Corn Storage on the Farms

    1938-1940

    4

    1

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 587: Corn Storage on the Farms

    1941-1942

    Map

    Case

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 700: Methods and Equipment for Harvesting, Processing, and Storage of Corn Silage: Blueprint for Silage Trailer

    1940 circa

    4

    2

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project No. 729: Study of Availability of and Needs for Farm Equipment

    1941

    Map

    Case

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Blueprints for Farm Structures: Sheep Rack and Feed Bunk, Cattle Stocks, Concrete Hog Trough, Hog Breeding Rack, Hog Hurdle, and Feeding Trough for Cattle

    1916-1917

    10

    2

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Corn and Hay Production Machinery Investigations (includes 13 b/w photographs)

    1943

    4

    3

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Corn Picker-Husker Investigations (includes 11 b/w photographs)

    1931-1932

    4

    4

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Corn Production Machinery Investigations (includes 12 b/w photographs)

    1929-1932

    4

    5

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Corn Production Machinery Investigations (includes 24 b/w photographs)

    1933

    4

    6

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Corn Production Machinery Investigations

    1933-1938

    4

    7

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Outline of Seeding Machinery Equipment

    1905

    4

    8

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Project Summaries

    undated

    4

    9

    Agricultural Engineering Section, Report: "A Study of Methods of Harvesting Corn Stalks for Industrial Purposes" (includes 1 b/w photograph)

    1927

    4

    10

    Botany and Plant Pathology Section [et al.], Study of Tropical Leguminosae

    1947

    4

    11

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 9 b/w photographs)

    1941

    4

    12

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 10 b/w photographs)

    1942

    4

    13

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 25 b/w photographs)

    1943

    5

    1

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 24 b/w photographs)

    1944

    5

    2

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 51 b/w photographs)

    1945

    5

    3

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 20 b/w photographs)

    1946

    5

    4

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 13 b/w photographs)

    1947

    5

    5

    Cereal Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 31 b/w photographs)

    1948

    5

    6

    Cereal (Oat) Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 21 b/w photographs)

    1949

    6

    1

    Cereal (Oat) Breeding Projects: Annual Report (includes 18 b/w photographs)

    1950

    6

    2

    Cereal (Oat) Breeding Projects: Annual Report

    1951

    6

    3

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1932

    6

    4

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1933

    6

    5

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1934

    6

    6

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1935

    6

    7

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1936

    6

    8

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report (includes 3 b/w photographs)

    1937

    6

    9

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1938

    7

    1

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1939

    7

    2

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1940

    7

    3

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1941

    7

    4

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1942

    7

    5

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1943

    7

    6

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1944

    8

    1

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1946

    8

    2

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1947

    8

    3

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1969

    9

    1

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report

    1970

    9

    2

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report (1 of 2)

    1971

    10

    1

    Corn Breeding Investigations: Annual Report (2 of 2)

    1971

    11

    8

    Forestry Department, Project No. 2606: Wood Anatomy of Hardwoods Growing on Southern Pine Sites

    1986

    11

    9

    Home Economics Section, Project NC-5, The Nutritional Status of School Children, The School Lunch as an Influencing Factor

    1947-1948

    11

    10

    Home Economics Section, Project 253, 255, 256, 257, 325: Project Summaries

    undated

    Map

    Case

    Planting Scheme for Experimental Orchard at Council Bluffs, Iowa

    1920 circa

    11

    1

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1978

    11

    2

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1979

    11

    3

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1980

    11

    4

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1981

    11

    5

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1984

    11

    6

    Research: Annual Activity Report

    1986

    11

    7

    Research: Conifer Stability Study, Layout of Planting Blocks and Plots

    1960

    11

    11

    Research: Listing of Projects Related to Soybeans

    1973-1976

    11

    12

    Northeast Iowa Farm Management Study

    1936-1943

    11

    13

    Research: Report on Pipeline Construction Effects on Corn Yields and Other Factors in 1980 in Clinton County, Iowa

    1981

    11

    14

    Research: Reports on Selection and Utilization of Building Materials Project

    1956-1958

    11

    15

    Research: Summary Reports on Research Work

    1935, undated

    11

    16

    Research Accomplishments

    1975-1987

    11

    17

    Research Areas: Alfalfa

    1978-1983

    11

    18

    Research Areas: Alternative Crops

    1978-1986

    11

    19

    Research Areas: Alternative Crops: Amaranth

    1976-1985, undated

    11

    20

    Research Areas: Alternative Crops: Crambe

    1972-1990

    12

    1

    Research Areas: Alternative Crops: Crambe

    1987-1988

    12

    2

    Research Areas: Alternative Crops: Popcorn

    1976-1984, undated

    12

    3

    Research Areas: Biotechnology

    1984-1985, undated

    12

    4

    Research Areas: Fuel Alcohol / Ethanol

    1960-1981

    12

    5

    Research Areas: Nitrogen

    1978-1985

    12

    6

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Cyst Nematode Testing

    1980-1985

    12

    7

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Foliar Feeding

    1975-1978

    12

    8

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Improved Oil Quality

    1982-1985

    12

    9

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Publications

    1972-1986

    12

    10

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Research Projects

    1973-1985

    12

    11

    Research Areas: Soybeans: Variety Testing

    1980-1984

    12

    12

    Research Grant Supported Projects

    1982-1987

    12

    13

    Research Priorities

    1983-1985

    13

     

    Research Projects Card File

    undated

    10

    3

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report (includes 1 b/w photograph)

    1937

    10

    4

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report (includes 8 b/w photographs)

    1939

    10

    5

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report (includes 2 b/w photographs)

    1940

    10

    6

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report

    1941

    10

    7

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report

    1944

    10

    8

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report

    1945

    10

    9

    Soybean Investigations: Annual Report

    1946