1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 7a 



purchase of land, erection of buildings and purchase of equip- 

 ment for a market-garden station, and providing also for its 

 annual support, was referred to in my last annual report. This 

 movement was only in part successful. Instead of the $20,000 

 asked for land, buildings and equipment only $8,000 was 

 granted, and no provision was made for the annual support of 

 the work. With the sum available 12 acres of well-located land 

 in Lexington of apparently highly suitable quality have been 

 purchased, and something has been accomplished in the direc- 

 tion of preparing it for use. There are no buildings on the 

 property, and relatively little can be done until these are pro- 

 vided and provision made for annual support. An effort to 

 secure the needed appropriation will be made in the legislative 

 session of 1917 by the Boston Market Gardeners' Association. 



Tobacco Investigation. — The tobacco growers of the valley, 

 as stated in my last annual report, endeavored to secure in the 

 Legislature of 1916 an appropriation of $2,000 to be expended 

 at the station in the investigation of problems connected with 

 the production of tobacco. This movement was not entirely 

 successful, but a substitute resolve, designed to meet in part 

 this need and at the same time partially meeting the request of 

 the college for an appropriation for miscellaneous improvements 

 and new equipment, was enacted. Out of the sum thus pro- 

 vided about $400 was made available to cover the cost of 

 putting concrete beds into the greenhouse of the department of 

 botany for use in the experiments with tobacco, and the pur- 

 chase of apparatus needed for the experimental work with the 

 crop. The expeijditure of this small sum of money has made it 

 possible simply to make a beginning. The tobacco growers 

 have already initiated a movement to secure a special appro- 

 priation for this work in the 1917 session of the Legislature. 



Publication. 

 The operation of the law relative to station publications as 

 amended in 1914 continues to be highly satisfactory from every 

 point of view. Published matter is more promptly available 

 for distribution and in better form, and at the same time a 

 large saving in the cost of editions is possible by the discretion- 

 ary power given to the director to fix the number of copies of 



