OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 687 



Dropping projects before their completion is one of the greatest 

 drawbacks to progress of work under the Adams or research fund. 

 When projects are discontinued special inquiry is made with regard 

 to the reason therefor, and if deemed feasible it has been urged 

 that the work be brought to a definite conclusion. These discontinu- 

 ances of lines of investigation result in reality in a waste of money, 

 and arise mainly from changes of men on the station staffs and from 

 the failure of the station management to fully appreciate the necessity 

 of systematic continued work. 



There probably has never been an attempt to supervise so large an 

 amount of investigation as the Adams fund projects of the experi- 

 ment stations. The legality of the expenditures is so largely de- 

 pendent on the character of the investigation that the supervision of 

 the funds requires much careful study of the investigations as far as 

 their character, original features, and continuity are concerned. 



This is a very large undertaking, with 48 States and Territories 

 each receiving $15,000, or a total of $720,000, and with a list of ap- 

 proximately 290 projects, of which 21 were completed during the past 

 fiscal year and 43 were approved and entered upon. The situation 

 is often complicated by the partial support of projects from other 

 funds, and by the extent to which the Adams fund is divided among 

 relatively small undertakings and a large number of workers. 



The rapid expansion of the work of the stations in various direc- 

 tions has in some cases put too heavy administrative burdens on the 

 directors, and has brought into their service many comparatively 

 young and inexperienced investigators or men with comparatively 

 limited scientific training. To this must be added the fact that the 

 relative newness of agricultural science and the complicated character 

 of most of its problems make the clear differentiation of specific prob- 

 lems for research relatively difficult. Thus questions often arise as 

 to what the problem really is and what is involved in its investiga- 

 tion. This office is therefore often called upon to go beyond what 

 would be required by a formal administration of the Adams Act and 

 to act in an advisory way regarding the planning and execution of 

 res*^arch. In doing this it endeavors to give the stations the benefit 

 of its broad study of the world's literature of agricultural science and 

 its knowledge of the conditions under which agricultural research is 

 being conducted in many institutions. 



In addition increased attention has been given to the Hatch fund 

 and to the sales fund derived from the two Federal funds. These, it is 

 maintained, should be devoted as far as possible to definite experi- 

 mental work and not be absorbed in paying the administrative and 

 general running expenses of the stations. They should also not be 

 used for demonstrations or other forms of extension work for which 

 there is now such a widespread demand, but which should be pro- 

 vided for in other ways. It is impracticable to formulate definitions 

 covering all questions regarding the division and use of the Inderal 

 funds which may arise from time to time, but the office is endeavor- 

 ing to assist the stations in working out the best methods of using 

 these and other funds at their disposal. 



The publication of the records of investigation remains a question 

 of much importance. This office maintains that the records of station 

 work are to be recognized as the property of the particular station 



