NEEDS OF THE STATIONS. 29 



inv<'sti^ations (choinioal supplies, fertilizers, feedinjj^ staffs, tools, 

 iinplcnients and niachiiiery, scientific apparatus, live stock, seeds, 

 l)iunts, sundry supplies, freight and express, heat, lij;ht, water, and 

 contingent expenses). The stations are organized in a number of 

 divisions representing the different branches of agriculture and related 

 sciences; the average number of inv^estigators employed b}'^ each sta- 

 tion is 10. Dividing the sum available for general expenses by the 

 number of investigators we have an average of $264.50 for each inves- 

 tigator. The whole amount (i^2,645) would hardh' pay the expenses 

 of a good-sized feeding experiment or a tield experiment involving 

 tests in several different localities. Plow inadetiuate, then, does such 

 a sum appear to be when divided among 1(> investigators. Under 

 these conditions it is not strange that so many problems of the farm 

 remain unsolved; it is wonderful that so much has been accomplished 

 b}^ our smaller stations. 



These figures show conclusively that, if our stations are to be con- 

 tinued on the broad basis on which they are at present organized, the^'^ 

 must generally be supplied with larger funds for the general expenses 

 of investigations, in order to conduct their work in a thorough and 

 satisfactor}' manner. 



As soon as an}' station demonstrates its usefulness by results which 

 promote any agricultural industry within a State all the other indus- 

 tries cry out that the station must do work on their problems. At first 

 an attempt was made to meet these demands by the publication of com- 

 piled bulletins which might contain considera))le information more or 

 less new to most of the readers, but in most cases this is no longer of 

 much avail. Some stations have tried to satisfy the most urgent of such 

 demands b}^ doing a little work on a variet}' of problems, but as a rule 

 this has been unsatisfactory to all concerned. There is not a station in 

 the country which is not confronted ])y reasonable demandsfor investi- 

 gations of important agricultural ijroblems which at present it is whoU}^ 

 unal)le to satisfy. In the older States the changing conditions of agri- 

 culture have created many problems which are new to the farmers and 

 on which they greath' need help, and in the newer States the extension 

 of agriculture is so rapid that the stations arc unable to keep pace with 

 the wholly unfamiliar pro])lems that arise in the farmers' new fields. 



In this connection it is well to consider that the areas over which 

 many of the stations in this country are retjuircd to extend their juris- 

 diction are so large that they can not meet the demands for investiga- 

 tions ada])ted to the various conditions of soil, climate, and rational 

 agricultural practice in theii' several States. The investigations thus 

 far carried on by the stations in many lines have very clearly Itrought 

 out the fact that there is a lai'ge numl)er of agricultural })r()l)lems which 

 must be studied in luuiicrous localities before safe conclusions can he 

 drawn. This is especially true with n^ference to problems relating to 



