EDITORIAL. 605 



nature, on an occasion which will naturally bring together a large 

 body of men to consider scientific, social, and economic questions. 

 Hence, without interfering with any other agency, it should tend to 

 promote the broadest interest and understanding in this many phased 

 subject. And what is more, it is hoped that it may serve to bring 

 the men of agricultural science into more close association with the 

 men of general science, who although working in distinct fields yet 

 have much in common. For there is a danger in too narrow special- 

 ization, and especially in too narrow association. 



Man}^ now go to the association meetings for their more intimate 

 touch with science and fellowship with its followers, and to the gath- 

 erings of agricultural specialists for their contact with agricultural 

 investigation and the men engaged in it. The separation of these 

 meetings in time and place involves an added expense and often re- 

 sults in less frequent attendance upon them. The new section may 

 possibly serve in time as a nucleus around which the meetings of 

 ppecialists may be gathered, furnishing the double opportunity for 

 discussion of specialized subjects in agronomy, animal nutrition, and 

 the like, and for the broader affiliations in science at one and the same 

 occasion. If so, one of the important objects of the federation of 

 agricultural societies attempted without success a few years ago 

 would be accomplished, and the interest and affiliations of men en- 

 gaged in agricultural work would be less widely removed. 



It w^ill not be the polic}'^ of the new section to encroach upon the 

 field of any of tiie special societies in the presentation of papers 

 and reports, but rather to atford a place where some of the large 

 subjects relating to agriculture, its organization, its investigation, 

 its teaching, or its general upbuilding on the basis of modern science, 

 may be discussed in an academic way. The initial meeting of the 

 section will be held at the annual convocation in Philadelphia during 

 the holidays. A feature of the program will be a symposium on 

 the subject of The Field of Rural Economics, to be discussed by 

 several speakers invited to present their views on different phases. 

 The symposium will be opened by the Assistant Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture, Hon. Carl Vrooman, who will deal with Rural Economics from 

 the Standpoint of the Farmer. Others will consider the marketing of 

 agricultural products, rural organization, rural credit, and related 

 topics in relation to the industry and the people living under it. So 

 many of the live questions in agricultural advancement to-day center 

 in its economic relations that the subject opens up a broad and profit- 

 able field. The vice-presidential address will be upon The Place of 

 Research and of Publicity in the Forthcoming Country Life Devel- 

 opment. 



The vice president for the new section is Dr. L. H. Bailey of New 

 York, who will preside at its first meeting. The section is repre- 



