806 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



This list is in no sense a comi^lete one in scope or extent, and only 

 hints at some of the salient features of the programme for inA^estigation. 

 It serves to show something of the variety of topics undertaken, and 

 indicates in a general way the character of the work. It will be evi- 

 dent that the subjects have been selected in a discriminating manner, 

 and are being attacked in a way to give a scientific answer which wall 

 disclose the various factors which are operative and something of 

 their relative importance. In this respect a large proportion of the 

 Avork is undertaken from a someAvhat different point of view from 

 that which has more commonly prevailed, and there is evident inten- 

 tion to systematize the inquiry and make it thorough as far as it goes. 

 There is an absence of experiments or trials Avhich aim solely at an 

 immediately practical ansAver, Avithout regard to the scientific aspects 

 of the case. Throughout the list of projects there is an attitude of 

 inquiry, an attempt to get at the reason for results and phenomena, in 

 order that deductions and generalizations may be made on a sound 

 basis of science. 



The working out of these projects in considerable detail has in 

 itself been a someAvhat new experience for a considerable proportion 

 of station men, Avhose Avork has not ahvays been characterized by a 

 systematic and Avell-digested plan. The plan has frequently grown 

 up Avith the experiment itself, and this has affected the conduct of 

 the Avork at different stages and necessarily the final result. If the 

 system inaugurated for the Adams fund projects shall become more 

 generally applied to the station Avork as a Avhole it Avill be an im- 

 j)ortant result of the first year's operations under the new act. Its 

 advantage to the station worker and in the administration of the 

 station must l)e evident. Only by some such means can the director 

 keep informed upon the Avork of various departments, arrange for 

 necessary cooperation to strengthen the iuA^estigations, and foUoAv 

 up the investigations from year to year. 



One of the great needs of our stations has been a more thorough 

 systematizing of their Avork — not that the individual initiative of 

 the workers is to be restricted or the position of the Avorkers subordi- 

 nated in any Ava}^; but vicAving the Avork of the past it must be 

 evident that quite a proportion of the station Avork has lacked in 

 efficiency from not having a sufficiently definite aim and thoroughly 

 considered plan, and not having the necessary continuity. Fre- 

 quently much well-planned work has been interrupted or dropped 

 before results of any value could he secured; and on the other hand 

 the value of many experiments has been largely nullified by lack of 

 support from some other department of the station. The control of 

 these matters, so vital to the efficiency of station AVork, is an admin- 

 istrative function, and more than any other single thing calls for the 

 guidance and inspiration of a competent administrative officer. The 



