686 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



are meeting the needs and requirements of their stations by granting 

 substantial appropriations not only for their maintenance but also 

 for definite lines of investigation. The growing demands of a pro- 

 gressive agriculture and the generally better financial status of the 

 experiment stations tend to enlarge their scope of action, increase 

 their capacity, and multiply their lines of work. This greater de- 

 velopment of the institutions demands a more careful consideration 

 rehitive to the expenditure of the different funds over which the 

 stations have control in order to determine the policy pursued in the 

 use of the Federal funds. In this connection numerous questions 

 arise with regard to the legitimate and most effective use of these 

 funds for experimental and research work. 



The multiplicity of station duties, coupled with their greater and 

 varied resources, has involved a closer inspection and a stricter ad- 

 herence to the policy of restricting the Federal funds to actual ex- 

 perimental work. As the law demands that the Federal funds shall 

 be used chiefl}^ for experimental and research work, it is practically 

 imperative that the stations should have some other revenues upon 

 which to draw for administrative needs, printing, and those lines of 

 work often demanded by the State, such as inspection, demonstration 

 work, and other duties which evidently can lay no claim to being 

 financed, even in part, from the Federal funds. 



The policy of the office in relation to the Hatch and Adams funds 

 is resulting in a more careful arrangement of the budget by the sta- 

 tion officials and the boards of control. It is observed that when the 

 budget is carefully arranged there is now little or no deviation 

 throughout the year from the plan as outlined. When the needs of 

 the different departments of the station are not previously considered 

 the funds are frequently unevenly expended or used in enterprises 

 which do not give the most useful results. 



The apportionment of salaries in cases where station officials 

 have also college duties requires continued supervision. The proper 

 apportionment of salaries requires the close scrutiny of the station 

 director, who should make the arrangement with the president of the 

 college before its submittal to and approval by the board of control. 



In the approval of Adams fund projects the experimental work 

 proposed and submitted has been subjected to more searching scru- 

 tiny, which has led to a more extensive correspondence regarding the 

 "work before it is entered upon, in order to arrive at a full under- 

 standing with reference to methods, objects, and purpose of the pro- 

 posed investigation, and for the purpose of placing the work on the 

 proper basis. The policy in relation to the kind of projects ap- 

 proved has been more rigidly enforced that the work submitted must 

 be definite, restricted, and specific. The experience of the past five 

 years has clearl_^ shown the inadvisability of accepting blanket proj- 

 ects, or propositions too wide in scope or too indefinite in purpose or 

 method. As a rule where the project has not been restricted and 

 held to the definite proposition the work has been superficial and 

 scattering and has lacked directness and objectiveness. Every rea- 

 sonable effort is therefore being made to hold the use of the Federal 

 funds within the terms of the law, and to restrict expenditures from 

 the Adams fund to necessary expenses directly connected with defi- 

 nite research projects of high grade. 



