6 N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION. [Bulletin 203 



of research work and a correspondingly greater influence upon agricultural 

 conditions. It takes time for the results of research work to make themselves 

 felt in common practice; but these results are already visible to such an ex- 

 tent as to more than justify the development of the Experiment Station. 

 See Station BuUetin 199, "Digging Up Facts for New Hampshire Farms," 

 for a brief survey of some of the achievements. 



The development of extension work in the state has had a direct bearing 

 in a number of ways upon the experimental field. The extension demonstra- 

 tions carry home points which have already been proved, and thus relieve 

 the Station of some of the popularizing work which was formerly necessary. 

 On the other hand, however, the demands upon the Station for specialized 

 information are greatly increased; the calls for members of the Station staff 

 to investigate farm problems and to give advice are multiplied; and the 

 responsibility for leadership in the development of agricultural knowledge 

 is greatly accentuated. 



The situation is similar to that of a manufacturing concern which formerly 

 handled all business by correspondence, but which later sent out agents 

 who demonstrated and sold its wares in a wholesale fashion. This policy 

 would inevitably react upon and change the conditions at the home office. 

 The immediate contact between the factory and the consumer might be- 

 come less, but the total volume of business would become much greater. 

 The factory would have to enlarge to keep the supply up to the demand. 

 The whole business would have to be administered with more scrupulous 

 care and watchfulness; for an error would be multiplied many times. The 

 necessity of foreseeing the trend of business and matching the supply of a 

 given product with the probable future demand would be ever-present. 



It is unfortunately true that the Experiment Station has not been able 

 to grow to keep pace with the Extension Service. Shortly after the inaugura- 

 tion of the field agent policy, came the war and the currency inflation. The 

 long-time experimental projects had to be maintained in the face of depreciat- 

 ing funds, and it has been possible only to keep the "home factory" going; 

 1 here has been no opportunity to enlarge it to keep pace with new demands. 

 This policy, if continued in, will be serious; for fundamentally the extension 

 work rests upon the research work. As the former grows past its first 

 stages, it will call more and more loudly for the solution of problems that 

 have not been solved. It Ls the duty of the Experiment Station to maintain 

 its natural leadership. It must not only keep faith with the piu-ely scien- 

 tific demands imposed upon it by the Adams Act, but it must forge ahead 

 more rapidly than Federal funds will permit into those problems to which 

 the extension agents of the next decade will need the answers. 



Because of the close connection between the Experiment Station and 

 the Extension Service it has been possible to use the same administrative 

 office for both; and this has meant a more compact arrangement, with less 

 overhead expense than would otherwise be possible. It aLso means that 

 the growth of the two branches may be studied with a close eye to the mu- 

 tual relationships; and this, as has been indicated, is likely to be more and 

 more important. 



In considering the projects pursued during the past year we will take up 

 first those conducted under the Adams Fund, next those under the Hatch 



