1920.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 5a 



Practical experience has shown important seasonal variations 

 in the character of household garbage, but no definite data of 

 composition are available. Little or no use is made of any 

 grain with garbage, and the growth of the animals is slow, 

 especially during the early months when rapid growth is most 

 profitable and desirable. This problem is one which the sta- 

 tion should be enabled to meet as soon as possible. 



Some manufacturers of mixed rations for live stock have 

 expressed a desire to furnish funds for the study of some of 

 their brands of cattle foods. This presents a delicate matter 

 for the consideration of the experiment station. The institu- 

 tion is charged by our public statutes with the inspection of 

 feeding stuffs, which particularly includes all proprietary 

 brands of mixed feeds and all by-products used as feeds; 

 therefore, it cannot accept a retainer from any manufacturer or 

 group of manufacturers to investigate a particular line of 

 feeding stuffs the results of which will be used for advertising 

 purposes. On the other hand, a scientific investigation of the 

 feeding qualities of a by-product, and combinations of it with 

 other materials, will be of great service to the farmers, and 

 promote the sales of manufacturers, who may well afford to 

 endow such investigations. 



Heads of departments of the experiment station have pointed 

 out some new problems that need to be solved when means 

 can be provided. It is of interest to consider what under- 

 taking new problems and new lines of work means to an 

 institution organized as an experiment station. If a new 

 problem can be studied by some members of the staff with the 

 equipment at hand, which is frequently the case with projects 

 arising within the experiment station, the problem may have 

 to wait until some other work is completed, but can readily be 

 commenced at almost any convenient time. Some problems 

 presented to the station for its consideration require both new 

 workers and new apparatus because the solution of them 

 requires special knowledge and special tools. A serious diffi- 

 culty, then, faces the experiment station. Additions to its in- 

 come must be secured with which to employ the new workers 

 and to purchase the required equipment. Members of the 

 staff cannot justly be discharged nor apparatus economically 



