ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 



STATION - 1936 



INTRODUCTION 

 F. J. Sievers, Director 



Changes in economic and social conditions should find expression in modify- 

 ing the operations of research agencies primarily established to serve the 

 general public. It is hoped that the Experiment Station administration will 

 never lose sight of this fundamental fact. Even though it may not appear 

 that, in the main, there is any change in the projects under investigation 

 there is, nevertheless, a continual expansion of service into new fields and a 

 retraction from those activities no longer considered of foremost importance. 



As a result of a re-evaluation of contemplated services to satisfy the desires 

 for increased research in nursery culture at the Waltham Field Station, it 

 was considered the part of wisdom to temporarily forego the utilization of 

 the appropriation made last year for expansion and equipment in the hope 

 that reconsideration would find approval for an enlarged appropriation such 

 as is included in the present budget requests. In the meantime, our research 

 program has not only been put into operation but is serving very effectively 

 under the leadership of Professor George Graves and Mr. Harold S. Tiffany. 



The demand for service in vitamin values of foods has taken on proportions 

 quite beyond what was anticipated when the Nutrition Laboratory was first 

 provided and partially equipped. This laboratory has afforded a means for 

 a very desirable type of cooperation among members of several departments 

 in the college and its effectiveness is already attracting quite general at- 

 tention. During the year an amount of $5,000 was especially allotted to 

 the Experiment Station for the purpose of adding encouragement to the 

 activities in that phase of nutrition which deals with some of the numerous 

 human deficiency disorders. This donation, obtained largely through the 

 activities of Dr. Joel E. Goldthwait, has been designated the Mrs. Henry 

 Lang Fund in honor of the donor. The American Medical Association has 

 also expressed its recognition of our service by making a voluntary financial 

 contribution to the support of another phase of the work. 



At the Cranberry Field Station, our attempts at solving some of the manage- 

 ment problems, especially as these relate to weed control, have been instru- 

 mental in impressing the members of the Cranberry Growers' Association 

 sufficiently to cause this organization to appropriate the sum of $500 for the 

 purpose of giving special encouragement to work in that field. 



All of these reactions which, in themselves, are very complimentary, never- 

 theless become somewhat embarrassing when we find ourselves continually in 

 a position where we need to be apologetic for not being able to serve ade- 

 quately, those who have a right to make requests. At present, there are 

 demands before us from the Massachusetts Arborists Association to assist 

 them in establishing a sound basis for dealing with the numerous entomo- 

 logical, pathological, and physiological problems confronting them in their 

 attempts to preserve and enhance the natural horticultural beauties of the State. 



