210 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



foi" two years of tive (^xporiment farms in different sections of the 

 State, to test the possilnlitics of nonii rigable lands. 



Tliis, in addition to the reg-iilar appropriations which several of the 

 States are makino-, the provision for printing tiieir l)nllctins and reports 

 in a number of instances, and other assistance, makes a ver}' creditable 

 showing for a considerable number of the States and indicates the 

 appreciation in which the stations arc held. Less than half the sta- 

 tions, however, were affected l\y such legislation, or receive any 

 financial aid from the States for maintenance. 



During the past 3 ear fifty stations shared in the benefits of the Hatch 

 fund. Twenty-three of these were given additional State aid and 

 twenty -seven received none. Of the State appropriations for Federal 

 stations, six did not exceed $1,0(M), and only eight equaled or exceeded 

 the Hatch appropriation of $15,000. Several of the appropriations 

 were for the support of substations and were not shared by the Federal 

 stations. The total State appropriations for stations and substations 

 were but little more than 51 per cent of the Hatch fund. 



The meagerness of the funds available for investigation in the twenty- 

 seven unaided Federal stations is shown by the following figures from 

 the statistical reports on the expenditures of the Hatch fund in those 

 stations: The total receipts from the Hatch fund were $•105,000. 

 The expenditures for administration and permanent improvements 

 (salaries, labor, traveling expenses, postage, stationery, libraries, and 

 fixtures) amounted to $313,086.38, or an average of $11,595 for each 

 station. The average amount expended for publications was $7(50. 

 This leaves an average for each station of onl}^ $2,6-15 for the general 

 expenses of investigations (chemical supj^lies, fertilizers, feeding 

 stuffs, tools, implements, and machiner}'^, scientific apparatus, live 

 stock, seeds, plants, sundry supplies, freight and express, heat, light, 

 water, and contingent expenses). Dividing this sum by the average 

 number of investigators, we have an average of $264:. 50 for each inves- 

 tigator. The whole amount ($2,645) would hardly pay the expenses of 

 a good-sized feeding experiment or a field experiment involving tests 

 in several diti'erent localities. How inadequate, then, does such a sum 

 appear when divided among ten investigators. Under these conditions 

 it is not strange that so many problems of the farm remain unsohed; 

 it is wonderful that our smaller stations have accomplished so much. 



These figures show conclusively that, if our stations are to be con- 

 tinued on the broad basis on which they are at present organized, they 

 must be supplied with larger funds for the general expenses of investi- 

 gation, in order to conduct their work in a thorough and satisfactory 

 manner. The States can and imdoubtedly will supplement the National 

 funds more fully as time goes on; but since the results obtained by 

 the stations are in manv cases of general value to the agriculture of 



