2 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ing Avhich this requires. It is not acquired in the regular college 

 course. It comes with special study under a trained mind, in the 

 course of which something of the spirit of investigation is imbibed, 

 the meaning of an investigation is learned, and familiarity is gained 

 with the methods of procedure. Unless a man has had this or its 

 equivalent, it is too much to expect that he can ftdly appreciate the 

 real differences between research Avhich gives definite knowledge, and 

 more sui:)erficial experiments which give results only half understood, 

 or that he can differentiate his subject and outline a scientific method 

 of procedure. 



Station men divide themselves into three general classes, all useful 

 in the advancement of agriculture, l^ut with special qualifications 

 which should be recognized in organizing the work. There is the 

 man in esj^ecially close touch and sympathy Avith the farmer, who is 

 impressed with the need of disseminating information upon matters 

 already known, and whose greatest interest and success lies along the 

 line of demonstration experiments and extension work — a promoter 

 as it were, who by the force of his enthusiasm and his ability to pre- 

 sent matters in a convincing way has great influence in introducing 

 improved methods and in spreading the Avork of the station. This 

 is essentially extension Avork. It depends upon the Avork of others, 

 and lacks originality except in interpretation and application. Such 

 men are not suited temperamentally to the work of investigation, but 

 they may be able to make better use of the results than the investi- 

 gator himself. 



Another class of men conduct trials and experiments upon a great 

 variety of practical questions in farm management, using rather sim- 

 ple, couAentional methods, and often canning the Avork out upon a 

 commercial scale. A considerable amount of scientific data may be 

 collected in their Avork, but this is reported in a somewhat incidental 

 manner, and is not digested and marshalled in such a Avay as to con- 

 tribute to a scientific understanding of the results observed or the 

 principles inA'oh^ed. The real object is to shoAV the most economical 

 method of fertilizing for a giA^en crop, the comparatiA-e A^alue of this 

 and that feeding stuff, the yield returned under different methods of 

 culture, and the like. 



A third grouj) of men ahvays have in mind, even in what are ap- 

 parently simple experiments, a recognition of the principles which 

 are operatiA^e and Avhich serA^e to explain the results. They so plan 

 their Avork as to not only give the farmer a practical answer, but to 

 ansAver the questions of science as Avell. They are not satisfied Avith 

 the empirical result. The spirit of tlie iuA'estigator demands to knoAV 

 why, and they Avill not be satisfied until they have Avoi'ked out the 

 fundamental reason. 



