19 



vacant tlu-ousli the death in July hist of the Hon. J. H. Brigham. Sharing the 

 opinion exjiressed in numerous coninmnications received from membei's of the 

 assooiiitiou. that it would be of advantage to lioth the Department of Agricul- 

 ture and the land-grant institutions were the incumbent of this office a person of 

 scientific attainments, personally experienced in scientific worlv related to agri- 

 culture, or having intelligent symfiathy therewith, your committee respectfully 

 re(iuested of the President of the United States (in whose hands the appoint- 

 ment lay) an opportunity to present their views in the premises. A i)i-ompt 

 and cordial response was made to the request, and on October 1 your com- 

 mittee enjoyed a personal interview of most satisfactory character with the 

 President. Refraining, as was proi)er, from suggesting any individual for con- 

 sideration, the views of the coiinnittee were fully presented, and emphasis was 

 laid upon the extremely satisfactory character of the services of Professor Wil- 

 lits and President Dabney, incumbents of the office in pievious administrations, 

 as indicative of the type of man \\lu> might with advantage be selected at the 

 l»resent juncture. The President granted the connuittee a most kind and atten- 

 tive hearing and expressed his sympathetic accord with the views presented. 

 Your committee is abundantly satisfied that, so far as other necessary consider- 

 ations will permit, the President will gladly meet the wishes of the association 

 as expressed through your committee in making this appointment. 



Numerous matters of detail, concerning which no report is necessary, have 

 received the attention of your connnittee during the year. Proper representa- 

 tions were made as directed to the Secretary of Agriculture concerning the 

 desire of the association that the Experiment Station Record should contain, 

 more generally, brief extracts as well as titles of the publications of foreign 

 asrricultural experiment stations and kindred institutions, and the importance 

 of ai>propriations for extending the work of the Department in the line of rural 

 engineering. 



The funds of the association have been economically administered, and the 

 report of the treasurer will show a satisfactory balance in the treasury, with 

 no outstanding oldigations. 



It is with sincere sorrow that your committee makes official record of the 

 death on October 1, ]904, of Maj. Henry E. Alvord, one of the founders of this 

 association, a former president and for many years the able and efficient chair- 

 man of its executive committee. The association will no doubt be moved to 

 express in suitable manner its regret for this sad occurrence, and its apprecia- 

 tion of the character and services of its late honored member. 



H. C. White, Chairman. 



On motion of H. P. Armsby, of Pennsylvania, the report was accepted, and tlie 

 executive committee was instructed to arrange for the discussion of the subject 

 of relations of the stations with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, raised l)y 

 this report, in connection with the report on cooperation (see p. (!2). 



On motion of H. C. White, the request of members of the association, previ- 

 ously constituting tlie section on horticulture and botany under the old arrange- 

 ment, to be allowed to form a division for horticulture and botany in one of the 

 sections of the association, was referred to the section on experiment station 

 work. 



Report of Treasurer. 



The report nf the treasurci' was read, as follows : 



Repurt of trrasitrcr of ihr nssociatioii. Xoroiibcr 17, 1903, to October 31, 190-'f. 



RECEIPTS. 



Amount on hand November 17, 1903 $26.3. 2G 



Amount received from dues 1,525.00 



Amount received froni National Association of State Universities for 

 services of the joint agent of the passenger associations at Des 

 Moines G. 00 



Total 1, 794. 26 



