16 a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



There are, however, constant and insistent requests for serv- 

 ices which lie outside of the fields which have been designated, 

 many of which are more or less private in character. To meet 

 these requests would consume a large share of the time and 

 energy of the members of our staff, and must greatly lessen 

 their capacity for research. Not a few of these services are 

 routine in nature, the same service is requested over and over 

 again by different individuals, the results often have a transient 

 value only, and it may be only to the individual requesting it. 

 To use public funds for private work, especially in view of the 

 fact that the public service must suffer if it is undertaken, 

 would clearly be a mistake in policy. 



Having thus endeavored to make the underlying principle 

 and its reasonableness clear, a statement in detail of our atti- 

 tude in relation to some of the kinds of service most frequently 

 called for, with the special reasons therefor, seems desirable. 



Chemical Analyses for Individuals. — Numerous requests 

 for chemical analyses come to the station annually from in- 

 dividuals. There is hardly a substance of any possible interest 

 to our citizens which we are not yearly asked to analyze. Soils, 

 fertilizers, feeds, drinking waters, milk and cream, vinegar, 

 drugs, minerals, and the viscera of animals supposed to have 

 been poisoned are some of those most frequently sent in. Not a 

 few individuals appear to regard such work as a proper function 

 of the experiment station; occasionally one represents that as 

 he is a taxpayer he has a right to such service, overlooking the 

 fact that taxes are assessed to support public work, not to pay 

 for private service. The majority, on having their attention 

 called to the distinction referred to, take a correct view of the 

 matter. 



Many offer to pay the costs of analysis. The station is not 

 organized for commercial work. Such work would almost in- 

 evitably interfere with more legitimate work, unless, indeed, a 

 staff' of chemists who should be employed in commercial work 

 only should be maintained. This policy cannot at present be 

 carried out. It would require sej^arate laboratories, and it is 

 not sufficiently constant to afford regular employment. Fortu- 

 nately, there is little occasion for the establishment of a State 



