AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS 1927 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW 

 HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 



It has become increasingly clear during recent j'ears that most in- 

 dustries are dependent for their development upon research work. Large 

 manufacturers have found it profitable to set aside funds of no meager 

 proportions for the discovery or perfection of new processes in their 

 experimental laboratories. That similar needs are felt in the field of 

 agriculture is none the less certain. Indeed, the complexity of the agri- 

 cultural situation — the many people engaging in it and the varietj^ of 

 tasks and organizations — makes it necessary for a much larger volume 

 of investigational work than has hitherto been possible. 



The field of agricultural economics, for example, has been compara- 

 tively unexplored; yet it is clear that research is none the less needed in 

 the problems of marketing agricultural products than in their production. 

 During the past year, as a result of the Purnell Act passed by Congress 

 in 1925, it has been possible to expand somewhat the work of the New 

 Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station in this and other fields. 

 Research work in marketing has been started in several important proj- 

 ects. For the first time also it has been possible to enter the field of 

 human nutrition. 



The state's poultry operations have increased greatly during recent 

 years, particularly in the number of commercial plants; and this has 

 involved many new problems. The very existence of the industry 

 depends largely upon its ability to control contagious diseases, and the 

 new studies along this line are coming none too soon if disaster is to be 

 avoided. 



The fundamental problem of soil fertility in the state has also been 

 attacked further with the institution of new plot experiments at Bos- 

 cawen and Colebrook. 



Of course many of the projects which are conducted almost exclusively 

 under federal funds are of national as well as local interest, involving, 

 as they do, investigations in the field of pure science. The amount of 

 state funds, in fact, is by no means adequate to take care of the different 

 types of service work which are demanded of the Experiment Station 

 by the agricultural problems of the state. New Hampshire is still one 

 of six states receiving state appropriations of less than S10,000. 



