602 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



it is possible to determine the number of changes in men of different 

 o-rades from one institution to another, and, to considerable extent, the 

 preparation of new men who are coming into the service. 



These returns show that during the year covered no less than one 

 hundred and fifty men of the scientific staff resigned or retired from 

 their positions in the station work. Two of these were directors, and 

 the resignation of one other has been called for to take effect January 

 1. The changes were largely in the assistant grade, twenty-seven 

 being assistant chemists; but of the total number forty-three, or 

 nearly a third, were heads of departments or in charge of special lines 

 of work. In many cases the change was from one institution to an- 

 other, but a considerable nmnber dropped out of the station work 

 entirely, at least for the time being. 



To meet the resulting vacancies and provide for added growth, 

 there were approximately two hundred and sixty-five new appoint- 

 ments during the year. While this includes jDersons who transferred 

 from one station to another, over two hundred were new men who had 

 not previously been connected with the station work. The large ma- 

 jority were of the assistant grade, but about fifty were heads of depart- 

 ments or in charge of independent lines of work. This indicates the 

 activity there has been in recruiting the station forces during the 

 past year, and accounts for the pressure for men of all grades and 

 specialties. 



The total number of employees on the scientific staff of the stations 

 in the United States, as shown by the new organization lists, is 1,234. 

 This number is exclusive of treasurers, accountants, registrars, ste- 

 nographers, clerks, janitors, and laborers, and includes only the actual 

 workers and their assistants. About one in seven of the station men 

 changed during the year, and the appointments averaged more than 

 four for each station. 



Five years ago the total number of station workers was TOr). The 

 present list therefore shows a large increase, which has made heavy 

 demands on the colleges. Considering the number who drop out 

 from the station ranks, it is evident that on an average considerably 

 more than a hundred new persons have been appointed each year 

 for the past five years. In addition to this, the growth has been 

 equally as large or larger in the teaching staff' of the agricultural 

 colleges, and new extension departments and other agencies calling 

 for trained men have developed rapidly. This Department alone 

 has taken large numbers of men of different grades in that period. 

 It is probably no exaggeration to say that fully five hundred new 

 men and women are now required annually to fill technical positions 

 in institutions of this kind; and with the spread of agricultural 

 teaching in secondary and normal schools, there is no likelihood of 

 an immediate decrease. This is a demand worth catering to. 



