THE PLANT WORLD 91 



Editorial. 



The founding of the Carnegie Institution was a notable event and 

 the publication of the first ' ' Year Book ' ' has been awaited with ex- 

 pectancy, for it was presumed that herein would be outlined the principles 

 and plans along which it would be administered. This book is before 

 us, having been issued some weeks ago, and is on the whole remarkable 

 for what it does not contain rather than for what it does ; and we can not 

 help a feeling of some disappointment at the results thus far attained 

 and the apparent indication of lines for future activity. The report 

 of the active officers of the Institution fills only 46 of the 351 pages 

 of the volume, most of this being taken up with the articles of 

 incorporation, by-laws, deed of conveyance, etc., the major portion con- 

 sisting of reports, often voluminous, of special committees who were re- 

 quested to submit plans for work in particular fields of research. After 

 setting forth the proposed aims of the Institution the trustees list a 

 number of things that it is not proposed to undertake, such as to "do 

 anything that is being well done by other agencies," " to do what can 

 be better done by other agencies," " to enter the field of existing organ- 

 izations," " to purchase land or erect buildings for any organization," 

 "or to provide for a general or liberal course of education," etc. It 

 appears that the sum of $185,000 has already been appropriated, but 

 neither the recipients of the grants nor the objects for which they are to be 

 used are specified beyond the bare statement that botany has received 

 $11,700; geology, $12,000 ; chemistry, $3,000; astronomy, $21,000, and 

 so on through the list of twenty-two subjects. From outside sources it is 

 learned that sums as small as $250 have been granted, the most frequent 

 amount apparently being a thousand dollars, but so far as can at present 

 be determined none of these seem quite up to the standard that it 

 was hoped would be set ; in fact our position is almost exactly set forth 

 by Dr. C. Hart Merriam in his letter to the Institution as printed on 

 page 170. He says : " While in accord with much of the report, I find 

 myself more and more opposed to the plan of scattering the work and 

 funds of the Institution. * * * Its strength and influence should 

 not be weakened by diluting and scattering its resources, but husbanded 

 for uses in keeping with the promise and scope of the Institution. It is 

 quite conceivable that its rich endowment might be so distributed as to 

 partake of the nature of charities to individuals and institutions." 

 Of the various proposed explorations and investigations on a large 

 scale, that seem commensurate with the " bigness " of the Institution, the 



