SOME FACTORS IN RESEARCH 283 



safe to assert that no small amount of the work published on this 

 side of the water has been systematically overlooked. English 

 and French (no less than German) investigators in the field of 

 plant physiology are not free from this criticism. Nothing will 

 correct this more promptly than the development of a high stand- 

 ard of American journals and particularly the development of 

 our new abstract journal to the highest perfection of its kind. 

 The criticism which is mentioned above is not, however, applicable 

 to foreign botanists alone, but in many instances it applies also 

 to some among us. Due to our educational associations, es- 

 pecially in Germany, we may have laid altogether too much 

 stress upon relatively insignificant German publications, and we 

 have seen through rose-colored glasses the accomplishments of 

 many of their investigators, particularly in phytopathology. 



Immensely serviceable in furthering research would be the 

 greater availability of special equipment. Library material is 

 used by those living far and near, and I believe that the exten- 

 sion of opportunities and inducements to use special equipment, 

 particularly during the usual vacation period would meet general 

 approval. Let us take one or two examples. Surely it is not 

 yet necessary for every laboratory in the country to develop an 

 expensive equipment for the control of hunr" dity and temperature 

 in greenhouse compartments. Yet an effective equipment of 

 this type would offer a means of solving a variety of problems 

 confronting the physiologist and pathologist. 



Similarly, as physiologists and pathologists, we are practically 

 all finding ourselves compelled to employ methods of hydrogen- 

 ion determination as a part of every-day technique. The indi- 

 cator method is extremely serviceable — as a result of excellent 

 work done in this country — and while simple and accurate enough 

 for ordinary purposes, there are times when we must know that 

 our standard solutions are accurate. This is particularly true, 

 of course, where the chemical equipment is meager. It is not 

 possible for every laboratory to install and maintain equipment 

 for the gas chain method, therefore it is conceivable that the es- 

 tablishment at various centers of standardized electrical methods, 

 employing potentiometers, might solve the present difficulty. 



° *© 



&•& 



