290 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Si ii i mi:: i: 1 1, 1915. 



circumstances, [n the past he has nol been anxious 

 o discuss his problems with external advisors. Thi 

 _ i . • i .• 1 1 custom has been to emplo)' th ices of an 



individual expert. Bui I in spite of their 



i work.have ni idminist i ers 



and have often been handicapped as regards contact with 

 othei investigators on account of trade secrets. The 

 aHvenl of the man of scii ace as an industrial adminis- 

 trator, which is really what England is calling for, and 



which chars German industn wi I siati a 



change of attitude on the pari of the manufacturer, 

 and the Government realize this to the full and 

 arc prepared to fulfil their functions in this and other 

 respects, [t only remains for the third party to fall 

 into line, and then we inaj look to new and great 

 developments. 



Before proi to consider organization of 



science in relation to agriculture, ii will prove 

 instructive to enquire whj science has nol before now 

 received in England due recognition. The reasons are 

 in be found principally in the British character. One 

 ingrained characteristic is an appreciation of mechan- 

 ical invention without anj appreciation ol the scienti- 

 fic research underlying iti It is nol realized that the 

 inventor is, in a sense, parasitic on science; that he 

 obtains his ideas from science, and simplj serves them 

 up in a concrete form for popular consumption. If the 

 basic importance of n search were more fully understood 

 and recognized by the manufacturer, he would be more 

 prepared to encourage scii tjee, and able men would be 

 more prepared to part icipate in it. 



Another reason for the lack of recognition is the 

 attitude oi the older Universities and the English 

 Public Schools. By them science as a profession is 

 looked upon as one lacking in the essentials of refine- 

 ment, and there can be no doubt this social stigma has 



had much to do with keeping able men of g I position 



from entering it. Law and the Church, cm the other 

 hand, have always enjoyed high approval, one reason 

 being no doubl thai in these professions thi ultimate 

 prizes to be gained in alter life are vastly superior. 

 They are. however, limited in number, and as Sir 

 William Tilden remarked at the deputation to the 

 Government already referred to, 'a large proportion of 

 able young men who might otherwise take up chemistry 

 as a ]inrsuit are led into the ranks oi other professions, 

 especially the Law, in which there are prizes for the 

 few bul disappointment for the vast majority.' 



Although we have seen thai science in British 

 industries has lacked recognition and organization, it 

 has manifestly achieved a great deal. Now. if we 



consider scii nee in relation to agriculture we find thai 

 without ion practically nothing can be done, 



plication i igriculture, we 



find thai organization is, in mosl countries, much 

 i h ivould — ni thai an indus- 

 trial parallel to a Department of Agriculture 

 such as thai possessed by the United States is whal 

 is wanted in England as regards her industries. 

 It is because Germany has both her manufactures 

 and agriculture organized in this ua\ thai she 



lias been ec'om powerful. I [ere a \\ ord 



ol warning maj be introduced in regard to the 

 possible neglect "1' scii nee in relal ion to B 

 and ' lolonial agricultun move to help 



the mi Although in man} respects the 



organization ol science in agriculture is i fficient there 

 is -till much room for devi lopment, especi illy in n 

 to the pro\ ision of research facilil ii s, Furthermore, in 

 British Colonial agriculture a centralized l>od\ of 

 technical administrators is much needed to consider 

 policies of development which the lay official is not 

 in a position fully to understand. Reference may be 

 made in tins connexion to the United States and 

 Holland, countries which have accomplished a great deal 

 in the Philippines and Java respectively, by moans of 

 such an arrangement. 



Turning now to the Wesl Indies, it will be 

 realized that the great national movement described as 

 taking place in England affords a lesson that ma\ be 

 taken to heart in these islands. Considering the 

 natural difficulties of communication, science in relation 

 to agriculture is in a ver\ creditable condition of 

 organization, yet there are still ways in which improve- 

 ment could be effected. There is i d for closer and 



more intelligent contact between the planter and 

 scientist, and need also for greater intercourse bel m en 

 the investigators themselves. The former should 

 arise in the course of time as the natural result 

 of educational efforts which have a fundamental 

 influence upon the organization of science in 

 general; the latter is accomplished bj the holding of 

 conferences, which in the case oi the Wesl indies at 

 i he present time is impracticable on account ol the war. 



Finally there, is a tendency in the West Indies, like 

 the one In (Jicat Britain, tin- able young men to neglect 

 science and agriculture as a profession, in preference 

 to Law and Commerce. Tins war will mean a renais- 

 sance of science throughout the Empire; and it' the 

 prospects before a scientific career have in the past 

 discouraging, there is a great possibility, it all 



-in - well, that in the futun the outlook will be a -■ 



am me. 



