EDITORIAL. 105 



to workers in agricultural science, yet it is most desirable that the 

 present general good will toward agriculture should be retained, and 

 it is well to reflect upon the possibility of a reaction in case public 

 sentiment should for any reason ever become surfeited. 



The fact is that the whole subject of extension publications is com- 

 paratively new. It seems probable that we are still in a transition 

 stage, with much yet to be learned as to the best forms and methods 

 in this sort of instruction. Just at present, therefore, an interchange 

 of views and experiences, such as constituted a prominent portion of 

 the Lexington program, would seem to be a most useful preliminary 

 in the sifting of the wheat from the chaff. 



One of the most important considerations, although not always 

 appreciated in the preparation even of station bulletins and similar 

 publications, is their permanent value as works of reference. Seldom 

 can information by the printed page be so timed as to reach the 

 farmer precisely when desired, but this is less essential if the infor- 

 mation is in such form as will lead him to preserve it for the day 

 of need. He should therefore be encouraged to build up his own 

 library, and an important step in this direction is sending him pub- 

 lications which it is worth his while to preserve. Such publications, 

 even when of an extension nature, will be readily differentiated from 

 much of the material prepared for newspapers and magazines and 

 intended chiefly to arouse interest or stimulate further incjuiry, as 

 their primary purpose will be not to entertain but to inform. A 

 spectacular method of presentation will thus be of much less im- 

 portance than substantial subject matter, plainly stated and so ar- 

 ranged as to be found readily by a busy man when desired. 



It is well to make even this class of publications attractive, but 

 better than a multitude of illustrations or the embellishments of the 

 most approved newspaper or magazine style may be the use of a 

 durable grade of paper or the supplying of an adequate index or 

 table of contents. The abolition of unnumbered publications — the 

 bane of everj^ librarian, professional or otherwise — and the reduc- 

 tion of publications to as few series as possible will also favor the 

 preservation of this material. These benefits, moreover, will not be 

 confined to individual farmers, but will also be most helpful to 

 libraries, schools, etc. Of late a great demand for agricultural infor- 

 mation is being made on public libraries in both country and city 

 as a result of the prevailing interest of all classes of people in rural 

 life; but too often the libraries are so handicapped by the appar- 

 ently limited regard of the authors for bibliographical consider- 

 ations as to make them hesitate to undertake the complicated task 

 of obtaining order from the chaotic mass which is descending upon 

 them. 



