Report of the Director of the New Hampshire Agricultural 



Experiment Station for the Fiscal Year 



Ending June 30, 1921 



In reviewing the work of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment 

 Station for the past year, it may be worth while to point out that there are 

 three fairly distinct lines along which the Station operates in the perform- 

 ance of its duties: 



(1) It conducts original research investigations mto the fundamental 

 problems of agricultural science. The work done under the Adams Fund 

 is specifically limited by Congressional appropriation to this field; and a 

 number of long-time experiments are in progress, such as the studies in fruit 

 bud formation, sheep breeding, etc. TVTiile the results of these can best 

 be observed in perspective over a long period of years and are reported upon 

 at length in separate bulletin-form, the annual developments in the projects 

 are noted in the yearly reports. 



(2) The Station investigates problems in their particular bearing upon 

 New Hampshu-e conditions. This work includes the testing of varieties, 

 breeding of new plants, studies in crop production, investigation of plant 

 diseases and insect pests troublesome in the state, etc. It means the steady 

 accumulation year by year of a fund of knowledge bearing upon New Hamp- 

 shire agriculture which is available at all times to interested persons. Some 

 of the Adams Fund work, in addition to its purely scientific value, is of ex- 

 ceptional interest on this account, and practically all of the Hatch Fund 

 work falls into this category. 



(3) The Station laboratories are used each year — and members of the 

 Station staff employed — in such service work as the analyses of feeding- 

 stuffs, fertilizers, and seeds, soil acidity tests and tests of blood samples of 

 poultry for white diarrhea. In so far as possible, the attempt is made to 

 keep this work self-supporting through revolving funds. 



Along all these lines the development^ of the work during the past few 

 years has been greatly hampered by the prevailing currency inflation which 

 has practically had the effect of cutting in two the funds at the Station's 

 disposal. 



Happily at its most acute point the situation was somewhat relieved by 

 the action of the Legislature in appropriating a special state fund for research 

 work of $12,000.00 for the next biennium. While none of this fund was 

 available until July 1, 1921, its assurance made possible the maintenance 

 of all projects and the keeping of the staff faii-ly intact. This is the first 

 recognition with state funds of the Experiment Station, and may well mark 

 an epoch in the history of the institution, since in practically every other 

 state in the country the Federal funds have for some time now been supple- 

 mented by state appropriations, thus making possible a greater volume 



