286 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



funds are directly appropriated for road improvement in the develop- 

 ment act, but provision is made for borrowing money from the con- 

 solidated fluid or from any other available source, the sums borrowed 

 to be repaid from the road-improvement grant, obligation for interest 

 and refimd not to be incurred beyond $1 ,000,000 for any one year. 

 The revenue of this board for the present year has been stated at 

 about SI, 500, 000, with a prospect for a considerably larger amount 

 next year. 



This summary of the provisions of the act as a whole will make it 

 evident that wide discretionary powers are vested in the develo})- 

 ment commissioners, and that the results attained will be largely 

 influenced by their decisions as regards the lines of work to be 

 entered upon and the way in which these are to be conducted. The 

 commissioners have thus far devoted themselves largely to formu- 

 lating carefidly considered plans. As would be expected, keen 

 interest has been manifested in the possibilities afforded by the act, 

 and applications for aid under its provisions have been so numerous as 

 to lead to a statement some months ago that the grants then asked 

 for would involve an expenditure of three times the sum available. 



Although the act became law December 3, 1909, only one project 

 has been given formal approval. This has for its object the encour- 

 agement of light horse breeding, a matter of particular importance 

 in Great Britain at present because of the requirements of the British 

 Army, now largely met by importations of foreign stock. A gi'ant of 

 S2()0,000 has been made for the ensuing year, which it is planned to 

 utilize in the award of premiums to stallions, gi'ants for the purchase 

 of grade mares, the free nominations of mares for service by premium 

 or approved stallions, the purchase of thoroughbred stallions, and 

 the encouragement of voluntary stallion registration. The detailed 

 expenditure of the funds is to be intrusted to an advisory committee 

 representing the various interests most concerned. 



The utilization of a portion of the fund for agricultural instruction 

 and research has not yet been definitely provided for, but is under- 

 stood to be receiving much consideration. The desirability of such 

 aid seems to be generally conceded, particularly as at present the 

 treasury funds available for these purposes are comparatively 

 restricted. Grants to higher education in agi-iculture have been 

 made for many years by the board of agriculture and fisheries, which 

 corresponds in a general way to the Federal Department of Agricul- 

 ture in this country, but for 1909-10 these amounted to but $61,500, 

 distributed among 20 institutions. In 1908-9 additional special 

 gi-ants for experimentation and research were begun, but these also 

 have been small, ranging in 1909-10 from $125 to $1,000 each, and 

 aggregating but $3,000. 



