902 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



seeds, bulbs, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings, and plants to be used for 

 experimental tests in cooperation with the agricultural experiment 

 stations. This feature is to be in charge of Mr. D. G. Fairchild. 



The appropriation for experiment stations includes the usual 130,000 

 for the Office of Experiment Stations, and $10,000 for agricultural 

 investigation in Alaska, an increase of $5,000. The Alaska work will 

 remain under the supervision of this Office and will be under the imme- 

 diate charge of Prof. C. C. Georgcson, formerly of the Kansas Experi- 

 ment Station, who went to Alaska about the middle of April. 



The provision for collecting information on irrigation is new and is on 

 a different basis from former appropriations. It is u for the purpose of 

 collecting from the agricultural colleges, agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions, and other sources, including the employment of practical agents, 

 valuable information and data on the subject of irrigation, and pub- 

 lishing the same in bulletin form." This should furnish a basis for pro- 

 curing data on the strictly agricultural side of irrigation, i. e. y the appli- 

 cation of irrigation, which, as well as the engineering side, presents a 

 multitude of problems for profitable investigation. 



The investigation of domestic sugar production is revived by an 

 appropriation of $7,000 "to enable the Secretary of Agriculture to con- 

 tinue inquiry and ascertain the progress made in the production of 

 domestic sugar from beets and sorghum, including the area of availa- 

 ble lands adapted thereto by irrigation or otherwise, and to investigate 

 all other matters concerning the same.-' 



The appropriation for the Division of Botany is increased $5,000 over 

 the previous year, and a new provision made for seed inspection. This 

 authorizes the purchase of samples of seeds in the open market for 

 testing, and, in case they are not found to be up to the standard, the 

 publication of the results of the tests, with the names of the seedsmen. 



The amount specified for the Division of Publications does not include 

 the available funds for printing the miscellaneous publications of the 

 Department. This is provided for in a separate appropriation of 

 $85,000, which is a part of the general appropriation for printing. 



It will be seen that provision is made for the extension of the work 

 of the Department in several directions. The advantages offered by 

 the experiment stations for supplementing and cooperating in the work 

 of the National Department are more iully recognized in the appropria- 

 tion act than ever before. To the former provision for cooperation in 

 the study of matters related to human nutrition is now added the test- 

 ing of foreign introductions, which it is hoped will stimulate investiga- 

 tion on the improvement of agricultural and horticultural plants in 

 general, and studies on the management and use of irrigation. Work- 

 ing hand in hand, the Department and the stations are of great mutual 

 assistance to one another and form a combination for the investigation 

 and promotion of agriculture which is unsurpassed. 



