EDITOEIAL, 303 



tion to a too narrow view, which has often obscured our vision and 

 had a noticeable eiTect upon the station workers themselves. In this 

 it has struck a very vital part, for the aim and work of a station are 

 determined in large measure by the men composing its staff. The 

 commanding i)()sition of the man as the most important factor in 

 research was strongly emphasized by the connnittee, and almost as a 

 corollary to this it was urged that "" the man and his line of work 

 nnist be suitable to each other.'' 



The latter is an important item which in the exigencies of station 

 work has not always been given due consideration. It recognizes 

 that men have special qualitications Avhich should be discovered and 

 encouraged. It is useless to try to exact research from a man whose 

 interest and ability lie in demonstration and extension work, and it 

 is a Avaste of good material to require extensive institute work of an 

 investigator who has little heart in institute work and finds it uncon- 

 genial. While most stations can as yet specialize and differentiate 

 to only a limited degree, they can in large measure relieve their re- 

 search men of duties which are onerous to them, and utilize them more 

 largely and more advantageously in lines in which their special quali- 

 fications and special interests lie. 



Regarding the training of station workers, the committee held it 

 to be " more important that a man be thoroughly educated in the 

 fundamentals of science than that he be trained in some of its appli- 

 cations," since the man of thorough scientific training can readily 

 acquire the known facts and point of view in the agricultural applica- 

 tion of the science, while the other hopelessly lacks the basal knowl- 

 edge of the science. 



The high ideals set forth by this committee received the approval 

 of the association in the adoption of the report, and the discussion of 

 it was in accord Avith the view that research is the life of progress in 

 agriculture, and that a point has been reached in our station work 

 where it is imperatively necessary. 



One session of the section on experiment station w^ork was devoted 

 to an open discussion upon The Kind and Character of Work under 

 the Adams Act, and the Society for the Promotion of xVgricultuial 

 Science, which met just prior to the convention, held a symposium on 

 experimental work, which was occupied largely with this general 

 subject. 



In the latter, papers were presented by Prof. Thomas F. Hunt on 

 What is Research ? ; by Dr. H. J. W^ieeler on Tendencies in Station 

 Work as Influenced by the Conception of Scientific Investigation, 

 and b}' Director C. D. ^A^oods on The Experiment Stations and the 

 Adams Act. These papers w'ere folloAved by a general discussion, 

 and later by the presidential address of Dr. II. P. Armsby. 



