58 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



In another capacity the Office serves as a central agency of the 

 stations, being in advisory relations with them to a constantly increas- 

 ing extent. This is promoted by its broad knowledge of the general 

 conditions in the States, the trend of development in relation to agri- 

 cultural experimentation and education, and the needs of this work. 

 It has stimulated State appropriations to supplement Federal funds, 

 especialW for practical demonstrations, the application of known 

 facts to local conditions, the maintenance of branch stations, and the 

 like. It has set up a high standard for the station work, has urged 

 the provision of improved facilities for that work, and pointed out 

 the requirement for thoroughly trained men on the station staffs. On 

 account of its acquaintance wdth the station workers as a whole, and 

 with the character of their work apart from that which had reached 

 publication, it has been able to offer much assistance to stations in 

 recruiting their forces with men adapted to their needs. 



In its relations with the stations, therefore, the Office lays quite as 

 much stress upon stimulating the stations to develop along lines of 

 increasing efficiency and usefulness as it does upon the inspection of 

 their funds to guard against their being diverted from proper uses. 

 Its functions in this respect were given increased importance by the 

 passage of the act of March 16, 1900 (popularly knoAvn as the Adams 

 Act), which also conferred upon the Department larger authority in 

 the administration of the funds appropriated. 



THE ADAMS ACT. 

 The text of the Adams Act is as follows: 



AN ACT To provide for ;in incivasivl iimmal appropriation for agricultural experiment 

 stations and re;i:iilalintr tlie expenditure thereof. 



Be it enacted hy the Senati and Jloiisc of Representatlces of the United States 

 of America in Congress assembled. That there shall he. and herehy is, annually 

 appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise a])propriated, 

 to he ]K\\(\ as hereinafter provided, to each State and Territory, for the more 

 complete endownient and niainlen.-mce nf ;ii,'rirn!tural experiment stations now 

 estahlished or whieh may hereafter i)e estahlished in aecordance with the act 

 of Congress aiiproved March second, eighteen hundred and eighty -seven, the 

 sum of five thous.nnd dollars in addition to the sum named in said act for the 

 'year ending .Iiiiic thirtieth, niiirtecii h\iiidred and six, and an anniial increase 

 of the amount t)f such .•ipi)roi)riation theri'after for five years hy an additional 

 sum of two thousand dollars over the ]ireceding year, .and the annual amount 

 to he paid thereafter to each Stat*' and Territory shall he thirty thousand dol- 

 lars, to he ,i])i>lied only to i>aying the necessary expenses of conducting original 

 researi'hes or «'xperiments Itearinu' direelly on the agricidtnral industry of the 

 Ignited States, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the 

 respective States or Territories. 



Sec. '_*. That the sums herehy apiiroj""';'*""'! to the States and 'I'crritorles for 

 the further endowment and snppoi'l of agricidtur.al exi>criment stations shall 

 be annually paid in equal tjuarterly payuiouts ou the iirst day of January, April, 



