STATES KELATTOXS SEP. VICE. 355 



The close of the war has brought the agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions in the States back more completely to their fundamental work 

 of agricultural research. The changes in their activities and per- 

 sonnel during the war have necessitated considerable reorganiza- 

 tion of their forces and projects. In this readjustment work tho 

 Office of Experiment Stations is giving them as much assistance as 

 possible. The experiment stations maintained by the service in 

 Alaska and the insular territories are continuing both research and 

 extension work, taking advantage of the increased interest in tho 

 agricultural development, due to the imperative demand which the 

 war brought about, to make those regions more self-supporting. 



The Office of Home Economics, through participation in tlie food 

 survey conducted by the Bureau of Markets and in the work of 

 various war-time agencies dealing with problems of the conserva- 

 tion and utilization of agricultural products, has gained and dis- 

 seminated much valuable information which will serve as a basis for 

 research needed in connection Avith teaching and extension work in 

 home economics. 



The movement of events growing out of the war has greatly stimu- 

 lated the interest of our people in vocational education. One result 

 of this has been that the department has been called upon in increased 

 measure to furnish the up-to-date information and illustrative ma- 

 terial in agriculture and home economics which the schools need to 

 make their Avork in these lines most effective. The States Relations 

 Service has done what it could to aid the schools in developing satis- 

 factory courses of instruction in these important branches. 



OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR. 



Tlie general administrative business of the States Relations Serv- 

 ice continued to be very large and complicated, owing to the largo 

 emergenc}^ appropriation and the great variety of cooperative ar- 

 rangements with Federal, State, and local organizations. The 

 temporary emploj^ment of several thousand emergency field agcnt:^, 

 with provision for their travel, supplies, publications, etc., neces- 

 sitated a vast amount of routine business, much of which could not 

 be properly standardized because of the shifting character of the 

 force. The loyalty and self-sacrificing spirit of the force, as a whole, 

 was very commendable, but especial credit should be given to the, 

 experienced administrative officers and their assistants, who carried 

 the chief burden of responsibility under very difficult conditions. 



EDITORIAL DIVISION. 



W. II. Beal, Ch icf. 



The Avork of tliis division included the business connected with (1 ) 

 tlie editing of all publications of the service except Experiment St:!- 

 tion Record, and (2) the collection, preparation, and distribution of 

 illustrative material. 



There was a decrease in the number of different publications issued 

 during the year, but many of them, especiall}^ those bearing on food 

 production and conservation, were printed in large editions to meet 

 emergency demands, so that the number of copies was greater than 



