296 ANNUAL EEPOKTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



as research institutions, to bring about conditions in the highest 

 degree favorable to the station activities, and to improve the grade 

 and the original character of the work. While seeing to it that the 

 Federal funds were being strictly conserved for the purposes of 

 experiment and investigation, the facilities of the office have been 

 directed to the problem of making the investigations progressive and 

 involve original features in order that when completed they may 

 represent definite contributions. 



The customary personal inspection of each of the experiment sta- 

 tions receiving Federal funds was made during the year, and a report 

 covering their activities and general condition, including statistics 

 as to their revenues, expenditures, and other similar data, was pre- 

 pared for publication. Conferences with station officials and mem- 

 bers of boards of control were frequently held during the year, and 

 an active correspondence was maintained regarding questions of 

 policy and the general progress of the work. 



In these relations the effort has been to develop local initiative and 

 the necessary measure of direction and to encourage in every way a 

 strong and aggressive local organization. Unsettled conditions in a 

 number of the States have called for unusual attention. In one in- 

 stance it was necessary to withhold the Federal funds from the sta- 

 tion pending the establishment of stable conditions which would in- 

 sure the legal and proper use of the funds. In several other instances 

 unsettled policy and lack of efficient organization have required 

 special effort to establish internal relationships and proper under- 

 standing essential to the welfare and position of the station. Changes 

 in directorship resulting in the bringing in of new men unfamiliar 

 with the station work, and the temporary appointment of acting 

 directors with little authority or responsibility, have hampered the 

 stations for a time in some instances, and have required closer super- 

 vision and a larger measure of caution and advice. Many changes in 

 the working forces of the stations, and increases due to the develop- 

 ment of the work, have resulted in a large number of requests for as- 

 sistance in filling these positions, which it has often been possible 

 to render. 



As heretofore, the office has passed upon and approved in advance 

 the projects to be conducted under the Adams fund. This requires 

 a large amount of careful attention, and often involves special study 

 of the exact character of the investigation and the status of knowl- 

 edge in that line. A reasonably high standard has been set for 

 research under that fund, and the projects submitted have been 

 examined in their relation to such a standard and their ability to 

 yield original data and deductions. As the projects progress from 

 year to year, modifications or restatements to make them more 

 definite and effective are often required. During the year 88 new 

 projects and 18 restatements or modifications of the work as orig- 

 inally accepted were approved. "Where work on projects was con- 

 ducted away from the station, as is sometimes necessary, some ade- 

 quate means of supervision by the station authorities was required 

 for the purpose of determining its needs and its general line of 

 progress. 



The effort of the department to provide a medium for the publica- * 

 tion of the strictly scientific work of the stations, through the co- 



