72 KEPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



KINDS OF WORK UNDER THE ADAMS ACT. 



While very little investigation was actually coiidiicted with the 

 Adams fund during the fiscal year 190G, the provision for filing with 

 this Office a list of projects to be undertaken with the jund makes it 

 possible to give a general idea of the character of these undertakings. 



In passing upon these projects the Office has undertaken to deter- 

 mine only their suitability and appropriateness under the terms of 

 the act. It has left to the individual initiative of the station Avorkers 

 the planning of the investigations and the selection of the topics most 

 important to their localities. The Office has insisted onl}^ that the 

 projects as outlined should be such as to characterize them as scien- 

 tific investigations, embracing some original features. It has not 

 presumed to pass, except in an advisory way, upon the feasibility 

 of the investigations, the method of procedure, or the j)i"obability of 

 the work leading to conclusive results. While it has made many sug- 

 gestions for the strengthening of the investigations, these suggestions 

 have necessarily been advisory, rather than mandatory, since the re- 

 sponsibility for the i^lanning and execution of the investigation must 

 rest witli the station worker. Every elfort has been made to lead by 

 suggestion, to inspire the spirit of investigation, and to preserve the 

 individuality and the initiative of the investigator. The reasons for 

 failure to approve certain j^rojects submitted have been fully stated, 

 and the general principles which have governed the Office in its 

 examination of these projects and the standards it has established 

 have been fully presented in publications and in correspondence. 



The most evident difficulties in planning Avork under this fund 

 have been (1) a lack of clear discrimination between investigation 

 in a strict sense and the ordinary expei-imental Avork, (2) a lack of 

 definiteness in the purpose and plan of the investigation. (3) a tend- 

 ency to take up too large or broad problems, and (-1) the outlining 

 of too large a number of projects. The terms " research " and " in- 

 vestigation " have been used freely in reference to experiment sta- 

 tion Avork, and often more broadly than they are employed in science 

 generally. Wo have fallen into the habit of speaking of much of 

 the Avork as iuA^estigation Avhich in a strict sense can not be regarded 

 as of that grade. The result has been considerable confusion in the 

 minds of station Avorkers, as Avell as the general public, as to the dis- 

 tinction between tliis and other grades of AVork less technical and 

 fundamental in character. Research is Avorthy of the name only as 

 it is directed to tlic answering of (h^fuiite problems by scientific 

 methods of procedure. This will imohc a definite plan of opera- 

 tions and f lioroiigh consideration of wlial is known of the subject and 

 its bearing, and should lead (o a knowledge of the reasons for the 

 results secui'cd. 



