REPORT OF THP: SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. LVIl 



the inspection of commercial fertilizers when the stations in the East 

 were first established, it now includes feeding- stuffs, dair}^ products, 

 and other foods for man, creamery glassware, insecticides, nursery 

 stock, and plant and animal diseases. The problems relating to this 

 service now afl'ect the stations in all sections of the country, since there 

 is no region which does not have some evil against which the agricul- 

 tural public is demanding protection by inspection under State or 

 national auspices. It becomes therefore of considerable importance 

 to have a careful consideration of the polic}' of our stations regarding 

 this matter. 



Soon after the establishment of the stations under the Hatch Act 

 this Department ruled that the funds appropriated under this act 

 could not be legitimately applied to pay the expenses of the inspection 

 and control of fertilizers. The same principle holds good with refer- 

 ence to other forms of inspection service demanded of the stations. 

 While the methods and usefulness of inspection in any particidar line 

 are still prol^lematical. it may be justifiable for a station to undertake 

 this work to a limited extent, but as soon as it Ijecomes a matter of 

 routine business the State should provide funds for its maintenance. 

 If it seems expedient that any part of the inspection service should be 

 performed by the station under State laws and at State expense, the 

 matter should be so arranged as not in any way to interfere with the 

 investigations of the station. It is a great mistake to divert the time 

 and energy of competent investigators to the toilsome routine work of 

 inspection service. It is often supposed that because this Department 

 performs such service at the same time it is carrying on a large 

 amount of original investigation, that the stations should necessaril}- 

 pursue the same course. This is by no means a correct view of the 

 matter. This Department is b}- law organized as an administrative 

 agency as well as a great scientific institution. The stations, on the 

 other hand, as far as the Hatch Act is concerned, are departments of 

 educational institutions, and by the terms of that act are organized 

 solely to carry on investigations for the benefit of agriculture. It is 

 only as they have been given other duties by State laws that they have 

 properly extended their operations in other directions. 



COOPERATION OF THE STATIONS W^ITH THE DEPARTMENT. 



During the past year the Department, through its difi'erent Divisions, 

 has inaugurated or continued cooperative enterprises with the experi- 

 ment stations in nearly all the States and Territories. Among the 

 subjects on which cooperative investigations are being conducted are 

 the following: Tests of varieties of grasses and forage plants in many 

 localities: special experiments with grasses and forage plants for the 

 arid region, and the improvement of range lands; breeding experi- 



