736 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



To meet the demand for studies of problems involving special or 

 local conditions, the work of the stations is being scattered over the 

 States more broadly than formerly. Not only are demonstration 

 and experimental farms being conducted under state appropriations, 

 but the station experts are extending their investigations to particu- 

 lar localities. "WHiere the Adams fund is expended in connection 

 with such investigation away from the station it has been deemed 

 desirable to include it in our annual inspection, and this increases 

 the time required for an examination of the station work. 



The wisdom of a close scrutiny of the work and the expenditures 

 under the federal funds continues to be evident. The growth of 

 interest in the teaching work of the colleges and in extension work 

 has led to conditions calling for a reapportionment of salaries in a 

 number of cases. The Office continues to insist that the colleges and 

 the States must make full jorovision for the teaching and extension 

 duties. 



One result of the growing activities of the stations has been a too 

 general use of the Hatch fund for administrative and similar ex- 

 penses without sufficient definite experimental work. The Office has 

 maintained that the Hatch fund should not be drawn upon to provide 

 for the general administration of the stations operating with liberal 

 state appropriations, but that definite experimental work should be 

 in progress under the Hatch fund as well as the Adams fund. It is 

 more and more evident that those stations which have no regular 

 state appropriations will find increasing difficulty in meeting the 

 calls made upon them by their constituents in the way of simple or 

 local trials, the giving out of general information, answering miscel- 

 laneous correspondence, preparation of popular bulletins, etc. We 

 have strongly urged the procuring of state appropriations and have 

 enforced the necessity of this by holding the use of the federal funds 

 strictly for experimental purposes. Such state appropriations are 

 now available in a large majority of cases. 



Several cases have arisen during the past year which have called 

 for an unusual amount of attention from the Office. These have 

 usually arisen in connection with the removal of the director of the 

 station. In such cases where the efficiency of the station work under 

 the federal funds has been involved it has been necessary for the De- 

 partment to interfere and to prescribe conditions which must be recog- 

 nized and met by the local authorities. In some instances this has 

 resulted in the temporary withholding of the federal fimds and in the 

 enforcement of the principles which must govern in the selection of 

 station officers and in the management of the institution. There con- 

 tinues to be within some boards of control a wrong impression of their 

 duties to the station and a wrong attitude toward its conduct. The 

 practice of interfering in the conduct of work after the general plan 

 has been approved, and with the expenditure of the funds for the 

 purposes necessary to carry out such work, is a misconception of the 

 duties of a board of control, which it has been necessary to resist in a 

 number of instances. 



During the past few years the work of the agricultural colleges has 

 expanded in various directions. The number of students of college 

 grade has greatly increased, the range and number of courses of 

 instruction has materially enlarged, and the activities of the colleges 

 in various lines of extension work have been greatly multiplied. At 



