INSPECTION OF THE STATIONS. 55 



workers of its own and supplements the work of both the college 

 and the station, extending the influence of both. Such a depart- 

 ment can render the work of a station more efficient by relieving it 

 of certain miscellaneous duties, and make it more effective by carrying 

 the results directly to the farmer. 



STATISTICS OF THE STATIONS. 



Each of the States and Territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, and 

 Porto Rico, has at least one experiment station receiving Federal 

 aid. In Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Hawaii, Missouri, 

 Alabama, and Louisiana separate stations are maintained wholly 

 or in part by State funds or by private contributions. A number of 

 substations or branch stations are also maintained in several States. 

 Excluding the substations, there are now GO stations in the United 

 States, 55 of which receive appropriations provided for by acts of 

 Congress. These stations have in their employ 950 administrative 

 officers and scientific workers. 



The total income of the stations maintffined under the act of 1887 

 during 1906 was $2,017,492.12, of which $960,000 was received from 

 the National Government, and the remainder, $1,057,492.12, from 

 State governments, individuals, and communities, fees for analyses 

 of fertilizers, sales of farm products, and miscellaneous sources. In 

 addition to this, the Office of Experiment Stations had an appropria- 

 tion of $197,900 for the past fiscal year, including $18,000 for the 

 Alaska experiment stations, $15,000 for the HaAvaii Experiment Sta- 

 tion, $15,000 for the Porto Rico Experiment Station, $20,000 for 

 nutrition investigations, $74,200 for irrigation and drainage investi- 

 gations, and $5,000 for farmers' institutes. 



INSPECTION OF THE STATIONS. 



The inspection of the operations of the experiment stations has 

 continued to be one of the most important features of the work of 

 the Office. In this the Office represents the Department in the gen- 

 eral administration of the funds given by the Federal Government, 

 and seeks to promote the work of the stations in a broad way. 



The inspection is of broader character than the term would imply. 

 It is not confined to an examination of the accounts and a scrutiny of 

 the financial reports, but extends to the various activities of the sta- 

 tions and to their relations to other agencies in the State. This 

 diversity is practically necessitated by the terms of the law which 

 places the general supervision of the stations in the hands of the 

 Secretary of Agriculture. This stipulates that in addition to pre- 

 scribing the form and detail in which the expenditures shall be 



