NOTES AND COMMENT 



A writer in the April issue of Torreya criticizes severely the manner 

 in which papers are presented at the scientific meetings, giving a de- 

 tailed diagnosis of the defects which he discovered in attendance at the 

 Philadelphia session of the American Association. The titles are 

 uninforming, technique and principles are intermixed, charts and dia- 

 grams are not allowed to speak for themselves, and the accompanying 

 remarks are unduly prolix as well as tardy in arriving at the main point. 

 Such is the verdict on what most of us have saved up as our supreme 

 effort of the year! We may feel that the verdict is a little severe but 

 we can at least recall other members of our section who have com- 

 mitted some or all of these defects. Our critic states that "contrib- 

 utors too often insisted upon laying before us their day-book instead 

 of the ledger; indeed, the balance sheet itself would often be preferable." 

 By all means! Let us have the balance sheet! There is no objection 

 to having the most important items of the balance sheet in red ink. 



It would be highly undesirable to make papers too brief and con- 

 densed, at least so long as our Sections and Societies refuse to print 

 preliminary abstracts of the papers. It is a bad habit which causes 

 many participants in scientific meetings to be highly detailed at the 

 outset, while there is still plenty of time, and then to be so hurried after 

 the secretary has whispered to them, that they are unable to present 

 adequately the chief conclusions of their work. Whether we are listen- 

 ing to a paper or reading it in a journal the first thing that we want 

 is a condensed statement of the problem attacked and the main results 

 secured. It is a universal custom to summarize results at the close of 

 a contribution. It is an equally universal custom to turn to the last 

 pages of a published paper and read the summary before we begin to 

 read the paper. It would be an extremely sensible proceeding to place 

 the summary of conclusions at the beginning of a printed paper and 

 to present the main conclusions of an oral paper during the first two 

 minutes of its delivery. 



Announcement has been made of plans for the celebration of the 

 twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the New York Botanical 

 Garden. The exercises will be held during the week of September 6, 

 1915, and will comprise addresses, the reading of scientific papers, 

 opportunities for inspection of the grounds and collections, as well as a 

 visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and two field excursions. 



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