Report of the Dean xv 



of Plant Pathology, Botany, Pomolog}', Floriculture, Entomology, Rural 

 Engineering, and Rural Economy are crowded into only a fraction of the 

 space needed for their present work, and the conditions are dispiriting 

 to the men. Certain other departments are but little better off. The 

 excessive costs of building during the war period and the need of skilled 

 labor for war work ha\'e dictated that we should not seek appropriations 

 from the State for these purposes at the present time. It is part of our 

 public obligation to get along as best we can with present facilities until 

 the war ends. Thereafter we shall need as soon as possible to seek funds 

 for the erection of additional buildings. 



The situation in respect to salaries is even more acute. Because of the 

 serious financial situation confronting the State it seemed best to the 

 trustees this year not to request increases in salaries for members of the 

 teaching staff. We find, however, that under the impetus of the nation- 

 wide mo\'ement for increased food production, very large appropriations 

 have been made for agricultural purposes in most if not all of the States; 

 and the United States Department of Agriculture has received vast war 

 funds from Congress. On e\'ery hand new lines of war work are being 

 developed and old lines extended. The inevitable result is an overwhelm- 

 ing demand for trained men. Many very valuable young teachers have 

 already gone from us, and a number of our full professors ha\'e received 

 financially alluring invitations to go elsewhere. It would be opposed to 

 the interests of the vState to allow our staff' to be depleted of its most able 

 teachers. 



Since its creation as a state institution, the College of Agriculture, by 

 reason of its being charged with the field of extension teaching, has been 

 looked upon as the chief agency in the State to give immediate assistance 

 to farmers in their practical problems of crop production. This obliga- 

 tion has grown with the years, and it has been multi]3lied under the stress 

 of war. Unless we can retain against the bidding of other States and the 

 United States Department of Agriculture the men needed for the war-time 

 extension activities of the College, we shall fail of what the State has a 

 right to expect of us just at the period when the severest test is being made 

 of our ability to serve farmers. 



Activities of the College in relation to the war 



At the time of the entrance of the United States into the war, the 

 University adopted the policy of giving to students who were leaving to 

 enter the land or the naval forces of the country', or to engage in industrial 

 or other enterprises contributing to the success of such forces, full credit 

 for such courses as they were then carrying. The university faculty ruled 

 that agricultural work was within the scope. , of .this resolution. Under 



