1918.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 9a 



ing at the cranberry substation, and greenhouses for experi- 

 mental work at the market-garden field station. 



Important additions to the station staff made during the year 

 have been mentioned, but men are needed to take up addi- 

 tional lines of work. There is decided need for experimental 

 work in rural engineering, in floriculture and in forestry. Pro- 

 vision for this work should be made at as early a date as 

 possible. Particularly urgent are investigations in rural en- 

 gineering and in forestry. There will be required, also, mod- 

 erate increases in salaries for a considerable number of those 

 now on the station staff. It is estimated that to provide for 

 the new men and the needed increases will require within five 

 years an addition to the amount now available for salaries of 

 $40,000. 



Increases for annual support of the station work and equip- 

 ment were quite carefully estimated in last year's report and 

 amounted to $30,000. 



WORK OF THE YEAR. 



The serious situation as affecting the food supply due to the 

 war suggested the desirability of a careful consideration of the 

 question as to whether lines of investigation in progress should 

 not be modified and new ones undertaken. With a view to 

 getting suggestions from individuals who it was believed are as 

 well qualified to make such suggestions as any in the State, a 

 meeting of the advisory council, composed of representatives of 

 the various agricultural interests, was called in June, The in- 

 vestigations in progress were quite comprehensively, though of 

 nece^ity briefly, described, after which opportunity was given 

 for discussion and suggestions. If we may judge from the fact 

 that no important new investigations were suggested, it would 

 appear that the scope of our work as affecting food production 

 and distribution was regarded by the members of the council 

 present as fairly satisfactorily covering the ground. 



During the past year we have undertaken a few new lines of 

 investigation. In connection with the oranberrj' substation in 

 Wareham we have established in co-operation with the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry of the United States Department of Agri- 



