ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF EXPERI- 

 MENT STATIONS, 1911. 



WORK OF THE OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS, 



The work of the Office of Experiment Stations during 1911 in- 

 cluded, as in previous years, the supervision of the expenditures of 

 Federal funds by the agricultural experiment stations in the several 

 States; conferences and correspondence with station officers regard- 

 ing the management, equipment, and work of the stations ; the collec- 

 tion and dissemination of information regarding the progress of 

 agricultural education and research throughout the world by means 

 of technical and popular bulletins; the management of the agricul- 

 tural experiment stations in xllaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, and Guam ; 

 the promotion of the interests of agricultural colleges and schools 

 and farmers' institutes throughout the United States ; special investi- 

 gations on irrigation and drainage, conducted largely in cooperation 

 with experiment stations, educational institutions, and other agencies 

 in different States and Territories ; and the investigation of problems 

 relating to the food and nutrition of man. 



RELATIONS WITH THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



The work and expenditures of the experiment stations have com- 

 manded much attention from this office during the year. The atten- 

 tion required has been in direct proportion to the increase in volume 

 and variety of the station activities resulting from the greater 

 amounts of Federal funds now available and the continued financial 

 aid given the stations by most of the States. In the fiscal year 1911 

 the Adams fund reached its maximum of $15,000, making, with the 

 Hatch fund, a total of $30,000 of Federal funds for agricultural ex- 

 perimentation for each State. In addition, many of the States are 

 meeting the needs and requirements of their stations by appropria- 

 tions for maintenance and for definite lines of work. The ^enerallv 

 better financial status of the stations, as well as the demands of grow- 

 ing agricultural industries, tends to enlarge their scope of action and 

 to increase their lines of work. This greater development of the 

 institutions has demanded a more careful consideration of the ex- 



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