Maxc# 1, 1901. | 
and a hindrance to its more important op- 
erations. While our stations have from 
the beginning been engaged in inspection 
work, and this has met with increasing 
popular favor because of its efficient per- 
formance, it is still doubtful whether it is 
the best ultimate arrangement. Almost all 
our experiment stations are organic parts 
of educational institutions. As such they 
are essentially university departments de- 
voted to research and to the dissemination of 
new knowledge. Toa certain extent they 
may naturally and properly engage a the 
various forms of university extension work 
through their more popular publications 
and connection with farmers’ institutes, etc. 
They are organized to conduct investiga- 
tions on a great variety of subjects, and the 
scope of their work of investigation can be 
almost indefinitely extended as their funds 
increase. They do not need, therefore, to 
go outside of that work which would be 
universally considered within their rightful 
domain as departments of colleges and uni- 
versities in order to secure a wide field of 
operation. On the other hand, as the range 
of inspection service enlarges and its duties 
become more onerous and complicated it 
becomes very questionable whether this ser- 
vice should be connected with our educa- 
tional institutions. It is essentially a part 
of the police functions of the State and 
National Governments. It involves many 
questions on which sooner or later the 
courts will have to pass. It may even ex- 
cite public attention to such an extent as 
to be reckoned worthy of consideration by 
the people in their choice of administrative 
and legislative officers. In many ways this 
kind of business is much more appropriate 
to bureaus of the State government than to 
educational institutions. 
Thus far the arrangement by which much 
of it has been connected with the experi- 
ment stations has been largely a matter of 
convenience, and in many States the amount 
SCIENCE. 337 
of work to be performed has been so incon- 
siderable that it has not seemed worth while 
to create special agencies for its perform- 
ance. We have now reached a stage in the 
development of this work when it is believed 
that this matter should receive careful at- 
tention from the managers of our agricul- 
tural colleges and experiment stations, in 
order that a sound policy may be established 
which will provide for the best future de- 
velopment of these institutions. In our 
judgment, this would involve efforts to re- 
lieve the colleges and stations of the inspec- 
tion service rather than to increase its scope 
at these institutions and make it a perma- 
nent portion of their work. 
STATE AID TO THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 
A number of the States continue to liber- 
ally supplement the national funds, and 
thus to extend and strengthen the investi- 
gation of the stations within their borders. 
This is done by specific appropriations for 
substations or special investigations, or by 
general appropriations for the current ex- 
penses of the colleges with which the sta- 
tions are connected. Often the printing 
of station publications is provided for by the 
State. During the past year notable addi- 
tions have been made to the buildings and 
equipment of the agricultural colleges, and 
the experiment stations have received much 
benefit from these increased facilities. At 
the University of Illinois a building costing 
$150,000 has been erected for the use of the 
agricultural college and experiment station. 
This will be thoroughly equipped with ap- 
paratus and other facilities for instruction, 
and when completed will form the largest. 
single plant for agricultural instruction and 
research in this country. At the Univer- 
sity of Nebraska a building costing $35,000 
has been erected for the special use of the 
experiment station. At the Washington 
Agricultural College a science hall costing 
$60,000 has been erected, which provides 
