OFFICE OF EXPEKIMENT STATIONS. 201 



letin No. 133) was submitted for publication. In the preparation of 

 these bulletins the effort has been made to take into account the work 

 done at the different experiment stations and to compare results 

 obtained under different conditions, so as to present a more complete 

 view of the progress of investigation in special lines than could be 

 given by abstracts of the reports of single investigations. While it 

 has been our effort to show the practical application of these results, 

 we have also tried to so present them as to make clear to the reader 

 that our articles are intended to be essentially reports of progress in 

 agricultural investigations rather than final and authoritative recom- 

 mendations of changes in farm practice. It is believed that one of 

 the most important things which our farmers have to learn is that 

 they are not to follow blindly the advice of experts whose investiga- 

 tions have necessarily covered only certain features of the complex 

 problems of practical agriculture. The farmer should be made 

 acquainted in a broad way with the results of investigations carried 

 on by the experiment stations and kindred institutions, and taught 

 how to take advantage of the results of these investigations through 

 his own knowledge and skill as applied to the conditions existing on 

 his own farm. The popularity of these bulletins is evidenced by the 

 large and increasing demand for them, necessitating frequent reprints. 



CARD INDEX. 



Copy for 1,900 cards of the index of experiment-station literature 

 has been prepared in the Office and forwarded to the Division of 

 Publications during the year. Preparation of the index is now kept 

 as nearly up to date as the irregularity of publication of station docu- 

 ments will permit. The number of index cards distributed has 

 reached 21,500. The receipts from sales of this index during the 

 year were $163. 7G. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL WORK. 



The Office has cooperated with the Library of the Department in 

 the preparation of a list of works on irrigation, land drainage, and 

 closely allied subjects, which is now ready for the printer. A list of 

 Russian dissertations on veterinary subjects has been completed during 

 the year by a member of the Office, force, and bibliographies of the 

 botany of maize and nitrogen assimilation, and the sources of data 

 relating to ash analyses of American farm products have been added to. 

 Considerable additions have also been made to the bibliography of 

 nutrition of man and animals, especially of bread and closely allied 

 topics. 



The collection and cataloguing of publications of the agricultural 

 colleges and experiment stations in this and other countries have 

 been continued during the past year as heretofore. A large number 

 of foreign publications of all kinds has been received as exchanges. 

 Many duplicates of station and other publications were received, a 

 considerable number of which were distributed to college and station 

 libraries and officers. The number of requests from college and sta- 

 tion officers for the loan of books from the Department Library has 

 greatly increased. The service thus rendered by the Department is 

 greatly appreciated by these officers, many of whom do not have 

 access to large libraries, and it is hoped that hereafter such privi- 

 leges may be further extended. 



