DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. 25 I 



tion to the potato industry it seemed impossible to draw the 

 line in this instance, particularly if the Station were to serve 

 its constituents in the manner it w^as expected to, and in which 

 it felt in duty bound to serve. Moreover, while each in a gen- 

 eral way knew what the other was doing, there was a lack of 

 active cooperation and coordination of effort. The way mat- 

 ters were drifting it seemed, from the standpoint of all con- 

 cerned in the administration of the Station's afifairs, that nuch 

 unnecessary duplication would be likely to result. 



In view of the facts stated, our director was authorized by 

 the Station Council in the spring of 191 5, to take up the whole 

 matter with the authorities at Washington with a view of ad- 

 justment in a manner satisfactory to all. I believe I can safely 

 say, after working nearly a year under the new arrangement, 

 that this has been accomplished most thoroughly. With the 

 present management of their laboratory and with the executive 

 at Washington now in charge of the potato disease studi"' 

 most cordial and helpful relations have been establisb.ed. 



Much of the work is now being carried on in cooperation 

 and we are to be kept fully informed as to all that they are 

 doing in Maine or in Washington in connection with problems 

 which directly concern Maine. The facilities of the Presque 

 Isle laboratory are at our disposal at any time. A member of 

 our staff was located there from May to October of the present 

 year and one of their men will come to Orono from Washing- 

 ton to work with us during a part of the coming winter. The 

 Department pathologists now have the same facilities for field 

 tests at Aroostook farm in connection with cooperative work 

 which have, in the past, been accorded to Professor Stuart, 

 also of the Department, in his potato breeding work. 



There are certain advantages from the standpoint of effi- 

 ciency in this arrangement which are not apparent at first 

 sight. The Department is so well supplied with men and money 

 that in an emergency they can, if need be, attack a problem 

 with greater concentration of effort than any station with 

 limited means like ours can hope to do. Again, they have in 

 their different offices and bureaus a large number of specialists 

 in many different lines who can be called upon for advice and, 

 if necessary, for active assistance. To cite a case in point. 



