20 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Extent and N^ature op Demand for Publications. 



The demand for station publications has greatly increased. 

 Our editions of bulletins treating subjects of general interest 

 now reach 25,000. Our annual exjienditure for publications 

 and distribution of bulletins and circulars now amounts to 

 rather more than $3,000. 



Almost every mail brings requests for bulletins of informa- 

 tion. These requests cover the whole field of agriculture. Cor- 

 respondents within the last few days, for example, have called 

 for " your pamphlet," " manual," " work " or " bulletin " on 

 asparagus, orchard management, jjotato growing, duck raising, 

 strawberry culture, small fruit growing, management of hot- 

 house crops, etc. Whatever the line of work, the public looks 

 to the station for literature exhaustively treating the subject. 

 It is manifestly impossible to meet any considerable proportion 

 of such requests under present conditions. We have published 

 no comprehensive manuals for the different farm and garden 

 specialties. It may be questioned whether the publication of 

 such manuals would be the wisest use either of station talent 

 or funds. It is freely granted that such manuals, carefully 

 prepared, would be useful, they would meet a want; but is it 

 not reasonable to leave something for private enterprise ? 

 Should not the members of the farming public, as well as other 

 citizens, satisfy their requirements in this direction by pur- 

 chase? May we not safely depend upon the agricultural 

 publishers to furnish works of this character ? However these 

 questions may be answered, it is certain that under existing 

 conditions the station cannot engage in the preparation, publi- 

 cation and gratuitous distribution of any considerable number 

 of manuals on our various siDecialties. 



Letters of Inquiry. 

 Thousands of letters of inquiry are received at the station 

 annually. Every head of department has repeatedly called 

 attention to the increase in the numbers of such letters and 

 the heavy demands upon the time and energy which answering 

 such letters entails, involving as the preparation of answers in 

 many cases does a considerable amount of investigation. The 



