268 RKPOliT (»1" olIK K (•!•■ KXl'KRIMENT STATIONS. 



tlu'sc sjn'cial iiivt'sti^'atiuii.s' slmuM lie suu^lit, ami if nocossary llu- aid <>f tlu- StuU-s 

 iiivokt'tl to cairv mi i-iitiTprisis loo ^rcat to ho Hiiccossfiiily (•(iiKliictcil witiiiii tlie 

 limits of {\\o appropriation fjraiitoil by Congress undt'r tlu' act aforesaid. 



riKCIIASK on IJKNTAI, OK LANDS KoK A( ilJICI I,TI KA I. i:.\ I'KKI M KNT STATIONS. 



This Department holds that the i)nrfhaso or rented of lands hy the experiment 

 stations from tiie funds approprialeil in accor<lance with tlie provisions of the act 

 of ("oni^ress of March "_', ISS7, is contrary to the sjiirit and intent of said act. The 

 act provides for "payin<; tlie neci's.sary exjienses of condnctinj^ in vest ijrat ions and 

 experiments and priiitiiii; and distrilmling the results. * * * J'roritlnl, hinirrer, 

 That out of the lirst annual appropriation so received by any station an amount not 

 excei'diiit,' onc-lifili may he expended in tiic erection, enlar<jemeiit, or repair of a 

 hnildingor hiiildiii<,'s necessary for carryin*; on the work of such stations; and there- 

 after an amount not exceedinfj 5 per centum of such annual approjiriation may be 

 so expended. " The only reference to land for the station in the act is in section 8, 

 where State legislatures are authorizeil to apply apprfipriations made under said 

 act to separate agricultural colleges or schools established by the State "which 

 shall have connected therewith an experimental farm or station." The strict limi- 

 tation of the amount provided for buildings and the absence of any jirovision for 

 the purchase or rental of lands, when taken in connection with the statement in the 

 eighth section, which treats the farm as in a sense a necessary adjunct of the educa- 

 tional institution to wiiich the whole or a part of the funds api)r«i)riate(l in accord- 

 ance with said act might in certain cases be devoted, point to the conclusion that it 

 was expected that the institution of whicli the station is a department would supply 

 tlie land needed for ex])eriniental i)urposes and that charges for the purchase or 

 rental of lands would not be made against tlu' funds ])rovided by Congress for the 

 exi>erinient station. This conclusion in reenforced 1))' consideration of a wise and 

 economic policy in the management of agricultural experiment stations, especially 

 as relating to cases in which it might be desirable for the station to have land for 

 experimental jmrposes in different localities. The investigations carried on by the 

 stations in such cases being for the direct benefit of agriculture in the localities 

 where the work is done, it seems only reasonable that persons or communities whose 

 interests will be advanced by the station work should contribute the use of the small 

 tracts of land which will be n-cpiirecl for expei'imeiital jmrposes. Experience shows 

 that in most cases the stations have had no dilliinlty in securing sucli land as they 

 needed, without expense, and it is believed that tliis may lie done in every case 

 without injuriously affecting the interests of the stations. 



EXPENDITURKS BY AGRICULTOKAI. EXPFIRIMEXT STATIONS FOR CARRYING ON FARM 



OPERATIONS. 



This Department holds that expenses incurred in conducting the operations of 

 farms, whether tiie farms are connected witli institutions establishe<l under the act 

 of Congress of July 2, 1862, or not, are not a jiroper charge against the funds appro- 

 ])riated by Congress for agricultural experiment stations in accordance with the act 

 of Congress of INIarch 2, 1887, unless such operations definitely constitute a jjart of 

 agricultural investigations or experiments jjlanned and conducted in accordance 

 with the terms of the act aforesaid under rules and regulations prescribed by the 

 governing l)oard of the station. The performance of ordinary farm operations by an 

 experiment station does not constitute exjjerimental work. Operations of this char- 

 acter by an experiment station should be confined to such as are a necessary part of 

 experimental incjuiries. Carrying on a farm for ])rofit or as a model farm, or to 

 secure funds which may be afterwards devoted to the erection of liuildings for 

 experiment station puri)oses, to the further development of experimental investiga- 



