20 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Libraries, 292 



Exclianges, ........... 137 



Cranberry gruwers, 1,437 



Beekeepers, 2,638 



Meteorological, 379 



Correspondence. — The correspouclence with private individ- 

 uals who seek information or advice grows constantly and rap- 

 idly. During the year 1910 the number of letters of inqviiry 

 answered by the members of the station staff was 16,650. Re- 

 jdies to many of these involve investigation, and the demands 

 upon the college and station men giving attention to this work 

 arc heavy and growing. There can be no doubt that such work 

 is most helpful ; numerous letters of appreciation testify to this 

 fact. The work should be continued, but it is neither experi- 

 ment nor research. It is rather a branch, and a most important 

 one, of the extension propaganda, and should be provided for in 

 that department. 



Lectures and Demonstrations. — The demand for lectures 

 and demonstrations by members of the station stalf has much 

 increased during the year. Relatively few of the requests for 

 such services have been accepted. The number of such engage- 

 ments met during the year has been 48. Work of this kind 

 properly comes under the head of extension service, and yet as 

 it helps in some measure to keep the station men, whose duties 

 are for the most part of a character which keeps them closely 

 coniined, in touch with the public and its most vital problems, 

 these opportunities are accepted in so far as is consistent with 

 proper attention to the prosecution of those investigations and 

 studies for which especially the station is maintained. 



Future Provision for Extension Worh. — The facts stated 

 concerning the various lines of work which have for their 

 object the dissemination of information must have made it 

 apparent that this work now makes very heavy demands upon 

 the time of station men. It already encroaches upon resources 

 which would more properly be devoted to experiment and re- 

 search. The authorities in Washington charged with the gen- 

 eral oversight of the methods of expenditure of United States 

 funds are most zealous, and rightly so, in their efforts to pre- 



