NOTES. 727 



eter to accept a similar position in connection with the investigations on human 

 nutrition at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. The vacancy thus caused has 

 been rilled by the promotion of N. C. Harnner; and \Y. A. Smith, a graduate of the 

 college in L901, has been appointed assistant chemist. J. B. Robb, of the Maryland 

 Agricultural College, who has assisted in the respiration calorimeter investigations 

 during the past three winters, has been temporarily engaged for the same purpose. 



South Carolina Station. — Hon. I). K. Norris, one of the life members of the board of 

 trustees, died January 23. 



Virginia College and Station. — The new science hall, erected about three years ago, 

 was totally destroyed by tire on the morning of February 23, together with its con- 

 tents, including valuable apparatus and museum collections. The loss is estimated 

 at $45,000, with only $15,000 insurance on Ihe building. Science Hall contained 

 the electrical, physical, and chemical laboratories of the college and the chemical 

 laboratories of the station. The origin of the fire is unknown. 



Wyoming University and Station. — The second short course in stock judging, attended 

 by about loo ranchmen, illustrated the interest which the people of the State are tak- 

 ing in the work of the university and station. The legislature has made an appro- 

 priation of S2,000 for the next two years for the carrying on of farmers' institutes and 

 short courses in different parts of the State, $2,000 for continuing the fruit experi- 

 ments at Lander, and SliOO to reimburse the station for glandered horses which were 

 killed The act passed several years ago, locating the agricultural college at Lander, 

 but providing no funds for buildings, was repealed, thus settling the controversy 

 over the permanent location of the college and the experiment station. 



Irrigation Investigations in Utah. — The State legislature has made an appropriation 

 of $10,000 for a period of two years to enable the experiment station to conduct 

 experiments and demonstrations on the proper use and the needs and requirements 

 of crops for irrigation water, and on the reclamation of water-logged lands. This 

 work is to be carried on in cooperation with the irrigation investigations of this 

 Office, and the appropriation is conditioned on the Department of Agriculture con- 

 tributing an equal sum for the investigations. The act took effect upon its passage, 

 and plans for the work are being made. 



Experiment Station Men not Government Employees. — The question as to whether 

 experiment station men receiving their salary in part or wholly from the Hatch 

 fund are to be regarded as Government employees has been definitely decided in an 

 opinion recently rendered by the Comptroller of the Treasury. The question arose 

 out of the fact that an act passed in 1885 provides that no money appropriated for 

 the Department of Agriculture shall be paid to any person who at the same time is 

 receiving other compensation as an officer or employee of the Government. The 

 matter has been of importance as bearing upon the payment of money to station men 

 on account of cooperative enterprises undertaken with the Department. In ruling 

 upon this point the Comptroller states that as the Hatch Act provides that the experi- 

 ment stations shall be established under the direction of the agricultural colleges and 

 makes the appropriation to each State, " I think, therefore, that where money is so 

 appropriated to a State to be expended in its discretion for the purposes for which it 

 is appropriated, persons employed by the State and paid therefrom are employees of 

 the State, and that a payment to a person so employed is not compensation paid to 

 him as an officer or employee of the Government." 



California Polytechnic School. — According to the first biennial report of this institu- 

 tion the school has made good progress during the past two years in the erection of 

 buildings, and the acquiring of facilities for instruction along agricultural lines. The 

 total enrollment for the first year was 20, and for the second year 52, the latter 

 including 40 boys and 12 girls. Fifteen of the first-year .students have returned to 

 the school. Out of the total enrollment, 20 are in the agricultural course, 13 in 

 mechanics, 12 in domestic science, and 7 unassigned. 



