1917.1 



PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 



29 a 



WORK OF THE YEAR IN THE DEPARTMENTS. 



In subsequent pages will be found brief reports, in most cases 

 by department heads, covering the leading activities of the past 

 year and calling attention to some of the more significant 

 results obtained. Among these a few only which seem to the 

 director to be of particular interest will be mentioned here. 



Department of Agricultural Economics. 



The report of Dr. Cance, the head of this department, calls 

 especial attention to the fact that investigation of the business 

 side of agriculture, although the possible usefulness of such 

 investigation cannot be disputed, has received relatively little 

 attention. The department in this institution is not yet as 

 liberally supported financially as would be desirable, but to the 

 extent of its resources it is investigating phases of the business 

 side of our agriculture in which improvement seems to be most 

 needed. The subjects so far chiefly studied are such as pertain 

 to costs and methods of distributing farm products. Onions, 

 tobacco and milk were among the first to receive attention. 

 A bulletin has been issued during the year (No. 169) on "The 

 Connecticut Valley Onion Supply and Distribution." This will 

 be found in later pages, but can be supplied as a separate on 

 application. 



Among many other points established the following seem 

 especially worthy of mention. Good onion land in the Connect- 

 icut valley sells at $200 to S500 per acre, and rents for from 



