STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 455 



remainder, aside from directors, being of the grade of assistants, 

 superintendents, etc. By actual count there has been a decline of 

 25U in the number of persons on the station forces, from an average 

 of about 1,700. 



Such widespread changes tend inevitably to the disorganization of 

 the work and seriously interfere with its progress. This handicap 

 involves not only the interruptions entailed but the difficulty of 

 securing properly trained men to fill the places. This condition is 

 not only serious in itself but there is danger that it may become 

 more so in the future unless the inducements for young men and 

 Vi^omen to adequately prepare themselves for research work are 

 made more attractive. Every effort is being made bj' the stations to 

 meet, in part at least, the competition in salaries that is now at- 

 tracting so many away from investigational work. 



Another feature is found to be the extent to which station workers 

 are being called upon to assist in the teaching and other activities 

 of the colleges. This increasing tendency to combine the research 

 positions with other duties, often resulting from necessitv, is a 

 reversion to a practice which early in the history of the stations 

 was found to be disadvantageous to thoroughgoing investigation. 



The experiment stations are passing thtough a critical stage in 

 their existence which it will require the strongest organized efforts 

 and broad public appreciation for them to withstand. Research 

 from its very nature comes but little in the public eye until it 

 is incorporated in the teachings of the lecture room or dissemi- 

 nated among the farmers, when its source is apt to receive little 

 thought. A fuller understanding of the part played by the sta- 

 tions in the progress of agriculture would help largely in calling 

 attention to their needs. There is need for greater publicity in their 

 behalf. 



The stations will need more funds to pla}' the part and occupy 

 the place they should. The prospects for increased State appro- 

 priations for the coming year are encouraging in many instances, 

 and there is ground for hope that the tide is already turning. With 

 proper guidance this should eventually mean a return of a more 

 settled and stable condition. 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The program for the year included the publication of volumes 41 

 and 42 of ?2xperiment Station Record, each consisting of nine num- 

 bers and the usual author and subject indexes. These volumes con- 

 tain 7,101 abstracts of the world's scientific literature pertaining 

 to agriculture, together with the usual monthly editorials discussing 

 important phases of the developments in agricultural investigation 

 and brief notes on the progress of institutions for agricultural educa- 

 tion and research in this country and abroad. The total number of 

 articles abstracted was slightly larger than that for the previous year. 



There was no change of policy as to the scope and treatment of 

 material. Special efforts, however, were made to advance the time of 

 issue so that the numbers would be in the readers' hands early in the 

 month of publication. A definite schedule to this end was worked 

 out with the (jovernment Printing Office and the preparation of the 



