relations with t In* Government of the United States, and In serving as general 
clearing bouse foi investigators aud thos< the results of their investigatiuus: 
Therefore be it 
\lved, Thai the exeoutive committee be instruoted to oommunicate to the 
honorable Secretary of Agriculture the judgment of this Association thai n similar 
ehannel o( oommiinioatiou between the agricultural colleges and the Qovernnu ul i^ 
desirable, and t>» assure him of the readiness of the executive committee i<> ooopi 1 
ate, should it be desired, in perfecting s plan which may serve this purpose, either 
through the enlargement of the scope <>f the work of the Office of Experiment Bta 
I inns or hy sm h other means as may be judged w 180. 
l>r. Charles W, Dabney,jr., Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, was 
iutroduced aud spoke as follows: 
Tin: SCIENTIFIC WORE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF A.GBI4 I in RE. 
Mu. Presiden v and Gentlemen of the Associa iion: [thank you very much for 
yonr kind invitation to meet you at this time, although I understand thoroughly 
that this invitation is more to the Department of Agriculture than to myself. It 
was my honor to receive from the honorable Secretary of Agriculture, <>n the firs! 
day I entered upon my duties at the Department, a commission to take general 
direction of some of the more purely scientific divisions of that Department; so I 
am permitted at this time to speak to you about that pari 6f our work. Since you 
are the appointed representatives of agricultural science in America, it is very 
appropriate, I hope, for me to tell yon something about the scientific work the 
Department of Agriculture is doing. 
I address this morning tho representatives of the agricultural colleges and experi- 
ment stations organised under a system of Federal laws for tho Investigation of 
- applied to agriculture, and I feel, therefore, that the best way I can use 
the few moments allotted me is in telling you ahout some, of the new things now 
done for the advancement of the sciences to which you an- devoted. You are 
all. I am happy to believe, already pretty familiar with the ordinary work of the 
Department of Agriculture. I shall not, therefore, talk about the old lines on which 
we have published bulletins and reports, hut will confine m\ Belf to certain new suh- 
ohiefly for the purpose of exciting your interest and Inviting your cooperation 
in working them out. 
In pursuance of the resolution passed l»y you at tho convention in ( ihicago, recom- 
mending that the Secretary of Agriculture he authorized by law to exercise super- 
vision over the expenses of the stations, Congress has incorporated in the agricultural 
appropriation hill for 1895 the following words: 
••And the Secretary of Agriculture -hall prescribe the form of the annual financial 
ent required by section three of the said act of March second, eighteen hun- 
dred and eighty-seven; -hall ascertain whether the expenditure! under the appro- 
priation hereby made are in accordance with the provisions of the said act, aud 
shall make repoi t tie 
Tin- kws regulating <»ur relations. Sin 
at your requeet and with the approval of the Secretary we bavi 
• harmony in earr> in^ it out. 
In <.rder that I ght have the fullest opportunity toord< r their expend- 
with the plan of the Department ••■ financial 
ts, to he made first at the end of thi sd and sent 
m soon after the appropriation bill withpre- 
anthoritj 
■ 
■eenri formation in or< ami- 
nation and visitation,, whioh you 1 
