VI MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



most quickly and surely answer certain questions. A prob- 

 lem may be as satisfactorily solved by bad practice as by good, in 

 fact bad practice may be necessary to its solution. These state- 

 ments are made in order to caution against judging the usefulness 

 of the Station by the standards which we would apply to those 

 engaged in the business of farming. The chief considerations in 

 measuring the usefulness of the Station work are : 1st, Have its 

 experiments and investigations an}' important relation to the agri- 

 culture of the State? 2d, Are its statement of principles or of 

 facts well sustained by the data of experiment and investigation? 



The Station Publications. 



The records of the work of the Station for the year 1889, have 

 been published in two bulletins, Nos. 1 and 2, Second Series, and 

 in the Annual Report for 1889, which is issued in three parts, 

 Part 1 in September, 1889, Parts 2 and 3, as early as possible in 

 1890. 



Of each publication of the station, there is printed at the pres- 

 ent time an edition of seven thousand five hundred copies. While 

 the mailing list of the Station has not yet reached six thousand 

 names, this list is constantly increasing, and the unused copies of 

 reports and bulletins now being issued will be needed in the future 

 by those who may desire to complete their sets. 



The Station is at present supplying its publications free to all 

 those outside the State who request them, but our outside list is 

 assuming such formidable proportions that it may be necessary 

 in the near future to make a small charge for the reports sent out 

 of the State, sufficient to cover the cost of printing. Of course 

 exception will be made of other experiment stations and their 

 officers. 



Experiments and Investigations. 



There was published in the Station Report for 1888, a list of 

 the experiments and investigations which have been completed, 

 were already undertaken, or planned. Of those there recorded 

 further attention has been given, or will be given to Nos. 7, 8, 9, 

 11, 19, 21 to 26 and 30 to 42. 



The following experiments and investigations have been added 

 to the list, some of which have already been entered upon, and the 

 others are to receive attention in the near future. 



