506 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



experimental work. A permanent organization was effected with the follow- 

 ing officers : 



Fresideni— George W. Atherton, President of the Pennsylvania State Col- 

 lege, Siate C liege postoffice, Center county, Pa. 



Secretary — C. E. Thome, Director of the State Experiment Station, 

 Columbus, O. 



Vice-Presidents — Gen. S. D. Lee, President of the State Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Agricultural College postoffice, Miss. ; S. H. Peabody, President Illinois 

 University, Champaign, 111.; L«Roy Braun, President Agricultural and 

 Mechanical College, Auburn, Ala. ; M. C. Fernald, President State Agri- 

 cultural College, Orono, Me.; George H. Cook, Director State Experiment 

 Station, New Brunswick, N. J. 



Executive Committee — Chairman, Major 11. E. Alvord, Professor of Agri- 

 culture at the State Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass. ; Hon. Edwin 

 Willits. President of the Michigan Agricultural College, Agricultural Col- 

 lege postoffice, Mich. ; James K. Patterson, President State College, Lexing- 

 ton, Ky. ; Charles W". Dabney, President State Uuiversity and Agricultural 

 College, Kaoxville, Tenn. ; Charles K. Adams, President Cornell University, 

 Ithaca, N. Y. 



A committee was appointed for the consideration of plans for conducting 

 the stations in general. The report of this committee, after undergoing 

 some modifications at the suggestion of the house, was adopted as follows: 



"1. That all appropriations received under what is known as 'the Hatch bill,' 

 should be applied in good faith to agricultural research and experiment and the dis- 

 semination of the results thereof among the people, and that any diversion of these 

 funds to the general uses of the colleges would be a direct violation of the plain spirit 

 and intent of the law, and an inexcu-jable disappointment of just public expectation. 



"2. That tli3 experiment stations specially referred to should be so far separate and 

 distinct from the colleges that it shall be possible at any moment to show to any 

 authorize i inspector or investigator that all the funds from the United States under the 

 Hatch bill have been expended solely for the purposes of agricultural experimentation 

 according to the intent of the law. 



"3. Tliat every 'department to be known and designated as an agricultural experiment 

 station should be distinctly organized, with its duties and control clearly defined, and 

 with a recognized official head, whose time shall be chiefly devoted to this department, 

 who should be on an equal footing with the other heads of departments or professors 

 of the college, and whose compensation should recognize the fact that the duties of the 

 position occupy every month of the year. 



"4. That the publications of the stations should be entirely separate from those of 

 the college. The quarterly or more frequent bulletins should give their readers the 

 results of experiments as fast as completed, and only as completed, or as distinct 

 chapters are completed. These bulletins should enlarge on those practical points, such 

 as the improvement or restoration of soils, the development of plants and tlie breeding 

 of stock, when suggested by work done, even to the extent of repeating well-known 

 principles and facts, when these need to be taught." 



Of this report, by far the most important feature is the first paragraph, 

 which emph isizes the impitrtaucjof using all funds solely for legitimate exper- 

 imental work, aad it is gratifying to kuow that the uuanimous voice of the 

 convention endorsed this sentiment. 



