360 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



curing men for their various lines of work, and also to returning sol- 

 diers trained in scientific agriculture in locating and obtaining po- 

 sitions. 



The office, like the stations, returning during the 3^ear to a read- 

 justment basis, found many new matters needing attention, among 

 them the maintenance of the experiment stations in the proper rela- 

 tive position with respect to other branches of the agricultural work. 

 The key position occupied by the stations as originators and inter- 

 preters of the information employed in teaching and extension work 

 euiphasizes the prime importance of maintaining them on a basis of 

 progressive strength commensurate with the growth of these other 

 branches. 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In accordance with the general plan in operation for several years, 

 volumes 39 and 40 of the Experiment Station Record, each consist- 

 ing of nine numbers and the usual author and subject indexes, were 

 prepared during the year. These volumes contain 7,023 abstracts 

 of the world's scientific literature pertaining to agriculture, together 

 with monthly editorials discussing important phases of the develop- 

 ments in agricultural investigation and brief notes on the progress 

 of institutions for agricultural education and research in this country 

 and abroad. 



The total number of articles abstracted was practically identical 

 with that for the previous year. Special attention was again given 

 to the selection of material of immediate usefulness under the Avar 

 and postwar conditions. Likewise many of the editorial articles tool? 

 up some phase of the effects of the war on research in agriculture and 

 the opportunities and problems confronting research institutions. 



INSULAR STATIONS. 



The Office of Experiment Stations, as heretofore, had direct charge 

 of the Federal experiment stations in Alaska, Hawaii, Porto Rico, 

 and Guam, administering their work and expenditures through the 

 local agents in charge. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year, and for several months there- 

 after, these stations were busily engaged in problems connected with 

 increasing production and conservation of food. The policy of 

 agricultural diversification, which has been continued since the es- 

 tablishment of the stations, was fully justified by the results obtained. 

 The stations suffered by reason of the de]);irture of many of their 

 men for military service. The manner in v. Iiich the remaining mem- 

 bers of the staffs took up the additional vrork is worthy of com- 

 mendation. 



The agricultural experiment station on the Island of St. Croix was 

 taken over on January 1, 1919, becoming the experiment station of 

 the Virgin Islands. This station, with an area of about 200 acres, is 

 to be developed as rapidly as possible to cover all lines of agricul- 

 tural investigation, and the work is to be extended to the other 

 islands of the group. 



The administrative heads of the stations remained without change. 



The appropriations for the stations for 1919 were: Alaska, 

 $65,000; Hawaii. $45,000; Porto Rico, $45,000; Guam, $20,000; and 

 Virgin Islands, $15,000. These sums constitute the resources of the 

 stations, the current sales funds no longer being available for use. 



