16 a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



gations. This policy of providing for a traveling expert who 

 should spend his time among the market gardeners in the differ- 

 ent parts of the State would, I believe, fairly meet the present 

 need, and may be urged, to restate the principal considerations 

 more briefly, for the following reasons : — 



1. He would study conditions locally in the various parts of 

 the State where his services seemed to be needed. 



2. If such a man be employed the more purely scientific work 

 connected with the investigation of diseases can be carried on 

 at the station without material increase in the present equipment 

 and by the experts now working at the station. 



I would, therefore, strongly urge provision for the employ- 

 ment of a traveling expert, believing that with such an expert 

 the immediate pressing needs of the market gardeners may be 

 fairly met, thus rendering the much larger appropriation which 

 would be essential for the establishment of a substation com- 

 pletely equipped for all lines of work for the present unneces- 

 sary. I estimate that for the employment of such a man as is 

 suggested, and to meet the necessary traveling and other ex- 

 penses, an appropriation of about $2,500 per year will be 

 required. 



Private Woek. 



The attitude of the experiment station relative to undertaking 

 private work for individuals, especially chemical analysis, for 

 which most of the requests for such work come, was fully stated 

 in the twenty-sixth annual report. It seems necessary at this 

 time, however, to once more emphasize the fact that the experi- 

 ment station is organized and supported for work in the interest 

 of the public. It is contrary to its general policy to undertake 

 work for individuals which has no general or public interest. 

 For the few exceptions the reader is referred to the twenty-sixth 

 annual report. 



I desire, however, once more to call particular attention to 

 the fact that there is much misapprehension among owners and 

 operators of land as to the probable value to them of a chemical 

 analysis of their soils. Such analysis does not clearly indicate 

 the crop adaptation nor the manurial or fertilizer needs. These 

 are determined more largely by the structure and the consequent 



