INSULAE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 15 



service men of limited experience and scientific training. These and 

 other conditions often give rise to what is involved in a study of 

 individual problems, and this office, therefore, is often called upon 

 to act in an advisory capacity regarding planning and execution of 

 research. In doing this it endeavors to give these stations the 

 benefit of its broad study of the world's literature of agricultural 

 science and its knowledge of the conditions under which agricul- 

 tural research is being conducted in many institutions at home and 

 abroad. 



Increased attention w^as also given to the Hatch fund and to the 

 sales fund derived from the two Federal funds. It was held that 

 these should be used primarily for definite experimental work and 

 not for administrative or general running' expenses or for demon- 

 strations and other forms of extension work. The office has en- 

 deavored to assist the stations in working out the best methods of 

 using the Federal and other funds at their disposal and of organ- 

 izing other enterf)rises so as not to interfere with the more legitimate 

 activities. 



Regarding records of station work the office has maintained that 

 these should be recognized as the property of the particular station 

 at which or for which the work was done. Wherever it has been the 

 intent to approj^riate material taken away from the station by the 

 individual worker on severing his connection with the institution 

 and to use and publish it at an experiment station in another State, 

 the office has refused to approve such a project without the consent 

 of the station where the work was originally done. 



The detailed review of the work and expenditures of all the 

 stations for this fiscal year contains many evidences of substantial 

 progress in research and the accumulation of, useful and practical 

 results. Never before was the stations' work so clearly defined and 

 this function so fully appreciated by the general public. 



INSULAR EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



An eminently successful year has been reported by each of the 

 stations maintained by the office. A few changes in the personnel 

 of some of the stations have been made, but there has been little 

 interruption of the work. The policy adopted at the establishment 

 of the stations of working for the diversification of agriculture 

 remains unchanged. 



The Alaska stations are continuing their investigations in agri- 

 culture, gardening, and stock raising with a view to ascertaining 

 what crops, animals, and systems of management are adapted to that 

 country. Gratifying results have been secured in the growing of 

 small grains in the interior valleys of Alaska, and recent experiments 

 have also demonstrated the possibility of potato growing on an ex- 



