584 AisrisruAL, reports of department of agriculture. 



Preparation was resumed of the revised list of abbreviated titles 

 of periodicals used in the Record, for which many requests have been 

 received. The revision was nearing completion at the end of the 

 year, and its early distribution was anticipated. 



Following the issuing of more rigid restrictions as to the free dis- 

 tribution of the department's periodicals a revision of the Record 

 mailing list was completed. Requests for both current and back 

 numbers of the publication have been unusually numerous, especially 

 within recent months, indicating that it is continuing to render a 

 service which is being much appreciated. 



DIVISION OF INSULAR STATIONS. 



Walter H. Evans, Chief. 



The agricultural experiment stations maintained by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture in Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, Guam, and the 

 Virgin Islands of the United States are administered by the Division 

 of Insular Stations of the Office of Experiment Stations. 



The policy laid out for these stations when they were established 

 was the development and diversification of agriculture of their re- 

 spective territories. At that time Alaska had no agriculture ; that of 

 Hawaii, Porto Rico, and the Virgin Islands centered on sugar pro- 

 duction; and that of Guam was in a very primitive condition, with 

 many of the ranches abandoned and food production at a low state. 

 By consistently following the original policy the stations have ac- 

 complished a great deal, and new agricultural industries have been 

 established, some of which are in a flourishing condition. 



During the past year all the projects of the stations were reviewed 

 and a number were suspended or terminated. An effort is being 

 paade to concentrate on fewer projects and to bring some of them 

 to a conclusion, so that other pressing problems can be given atten- 

 tion. 



Practically every station is in need of a larger income, so that the 

 work may be properly developed. The incomes of the several sta- 

 tions for the fiscal year 1923 were : Alaska, $75,000 ; Hawaii, $50,000 ; 

 Porto Rico, $50,000; Virgin Islands, $20,000; and Guam, $15,000. 

 These sums have not been changed since 1920, except that the appro- 

 priation for Guam was reduced $10,000. During the war period 

 miscellaneous expenses were kept as low as possible, and many de- 

 sired buildings and repairs were deferred to a more propitious time. 

 Following this policy, during the fiscal years 1918 to 1922, the sta- 

 tions returned to the United States Treasury $11,618.54 and there 

 was deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts derived from 

 the sale of products $32,709.67. The officers in charge of the stations 

 report very urgently needed improvements. At the Fairbanks sta- 

 tion the log buildings erected in 1907 are deteriorating rapidly, and 

 there is need of more cleared land at the Fairbanks and Matanuska 

 stations to supply pasturage and feed for the rapidly increasing 

 herds and flocks. The Guam station is in need of additional build- 

 ings, and the animal husbandman in charge of the station reports 

 that the damage done by the typhoon of March 26 probably would 

 not have been so great had it been possible to keep the buildings and 

 fences in good condition. The Virgin Islands station is sorely in 

 need of adequate water storage to carry it over periods of light 



