1917.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 17a 



two kinds of work will still be undertaken for individuals to the 

 extent to which the resources of the station permit and without 

 charge. It should be pointed out, further, that any work be- 

 lieved to be of general interest which is done for individuals is 

 done as a rule without charge. 



Commercial Work. 



The station recognizes no obligation to accept for pay work 

 in the sole interest of the party applying for the same, and, un- 

 less the work desired is of a kind which it is peculiarly fitted to 

 undertake, applications will be declined. In case the desired 

 work is such as our staff is accustomed to handle, and for which 

 the station is fullj^ equipped, it may be accepted even if not of 

 public or scientific interest, provided conditions justify the an- 

 ticipation that it can be done without interference with regular 

 work. In all such cases materials will be taken up in the order 

 of apphcation. 



There are two kinds of work now being carried on for which 

 a charge is made, which require brief mention: — 



Water Analysis. — For a sanitary analysis of drinking water 

 there is a uniform charge of S3. It is estimated that this charge 

 covers the cost of the analysis. It is hardly one-third the 

 amount which a commercial chemist usually charges. Some 

 charge, however, seems essential in order to prevent the indis- 

 criminate forwarding for analysis of samples in such number as 

 to constitute a serious burden, and in many cases under condi- 

 tions not indicating the need of examination. 



Blood Test for Infection tcith Bacillary White Diarrhoea. — 

 White diarrhoea causes such serious losses in rearing chickens 

 that, since the discovery of the facts that it is generally trans- 

 mitted through the hen that lays the egg, and that it is possible 

 to determine whether the hen harbors the infection by a com- 

 paratively simple test of her blood, it has been felt to be desir- 

 able to undertake a campaign to eliminate the disease from the 

 flocks of the State. For this work the station at present makes 

 a charge of 5 cents per fowl tested. This charge is not sufficient 

 to cover all the costs connected with the test. It is, however, 

 felt to be perfectly legitimate that the station should carry a 

 part of the cost, as numerous phases of investigation which it is 



