206 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



The preparation of bulletins and reports offers an opportunity for 

 greater supervision, which will usually come through the director's 

 office. The publication of bulletins without sufficient scrutiny as to 

 fact or editorial supervision as to form and style is liable to bring 

 embarrassment upon both the station and the Avriter. The investi- 

 gator, from his very familiarity with the subject, is not ahvaj^s suc- 

 cessful in putting his matter into the most intelligible form, and the 

 general appearance of a bulletin counts for much, Frequenth^ also 

 the subject-matter laps over into the field of another department. 

 The publications are an important product of the station's work. 

 The effectiveness and the general impression of the station on the pub- 

 lic are measnred very largely by the clearness, accuracy, and general 

 appearance of the material sent out. Nothing is lost by friendly 

 criticism and suggestion, and the director may well provide some 

 regular channel which Avill insure the manuscript being in creditabh? 

 shape for publication before it goes to the printer. 



Directors can not all be made in the same mold, and conditions aii 

 not alike at all institutions. But there are certain duties of adminis- 

 tration which should be recognized in the efficient management of all 

 station Avork and business. "We have outgrown the simple methods 

 which formerly sufficed. We need inore formal and better systema- 

 tized plans. The stations are growing and their relations becoming- 

 more and more involved. We must meet this by more effectual 

 organization and admini'-;tration. 



The resignation of Dr. Elwood Mead from charge of the irrigation 

 and drainage investigations of this Office closes a period of nine years 

 of important service, which has been national in its scope and influ- 

 ence — a period of organization and rapid development in these tAvo 

 lines of agricultural engineering. 



Doctor Mead has accepted the position of consulting engineer 

 with a large company which is developing lands for irrigation near 

 Denver under the reservoir system. Temporarily he has been released 

 bv that company in order that he might accept a short appointment 

 under the Australian government for expert services in connection 

 Avith the plans which are being laid for construction work. His inti- 

 mate knowledge of irrigation laws and institutions, as Avell as the 

 irrigation practice in different parts of the world, has made his serv- 

 ices much sought for. 



The funds for irrigation work grew out of a feeling that this Dct 

 partment should be giving attention to the peculiar problems arising 

 under irrigated agriculture. These problems are as distinctly agri- 

 cultural in character as are the improvement of plants or methods 

 for their culture and utilization. They are concerned with the use of 



