OFFICE OF EXPEEIMENT STATIONS. 301 



There were a number of changes in the personnel of some of the 

 stations, but there were no serious interruptions in the work. A 

 plant breeder was added to the staff of the Alaska stations, and that 

 work, which has been in progress for several years, will be featured 

 more than formerly. 



The relations of the stations with those for whom they are working 

 continues to be satisfactory in the main. The demand for advice, 

 cooperative and demonstration work, publications, etc., is growing 

 rapidly, and the requests have in some instances exceeded the ability 

 of the stations to comply with them. More funds are needed for 

 nearly every station in order to provide for the normal extension of 

 the work. The loss of the sales funds, which had been available for 

 the maintenance of the stations for a number of years, in the absence 

 of any compensating appropriation, will necessitate a curtailing of 

 some of the work. The appropriation of the Hawaii Legislature of 

 $5,000, which has been available for several years for demonstration 

 work by the station, has been withdrawn, but an increased fund was 

 set aside for the cooperative marketing work, which is continued 

 under the auspices of the station. 



An important feature of the work of the insular stations has been 

 the cooperative aid given by the various bureaus of this department. 

 This service has been of great value and without it some features of 

 the stations' activities would have been greatly curtailed. 



The appropriations for the insular stations for the fiscal year 1915 

 were: Alaska, $40,000; Hawaii, $35,000; Porto Eico, $30,000; and 

 Guam, $15,000. These sums were increased by sales funds as fol- 

 lows: Alaska, $7,823.11; Hawaii, $1,181.79; Porto Rico, $3,928.79; 

 and Guam, $548.21. For the cooperative marketing work in Hawaii 

 $13,500 was expended. In addition, local contributions amounting to 

 $1,642.70 were available for the use of the station. 



The administrative work in relation to this office and the review of 

 their financial affairs continue, as formerly, under the charge of Dr. 

 Walter H. Evans and the accounting division of this office. 



ALASKA STATIONS. 



The ripening of many of the grains in the summer of 1914 was re- 

 tarded by prolonged cloudy weather and an unusual amount of rain. 

 In 1915 the spring opened earlier and the summer followed with 

 more sunshine and less rain than normal. Along the southeastern 

 coast this condition was unusually favorable to crops of all kinds, but 

 in portions of the interior it almost amounted to a drought. As a re- 

 sult the growth of grass and grain crops was short and the yields re- 

 duced, although the quality was good. Harvest was earlier than 

 usual and practically all varieties of grains matured. Even spring 

 wheat, which has been the least successfully grown of any of the ce- 

 reals, was fully ripened. 



At the Sitka station the efforts at plant breeding are being con- 

 tinued and numerous crosses of strawberries, raspberries, currants, 

 apples, etc., have been made and the resultant hybrids will be given 

 thorough trial. The work with hybrid strawberries is still in prog- 

 ress and many of the least desirable ones have been eliminated. The 

 others are being critically studied to determine which ones appear to 



