EDITOEIALi. 5 



all the resources of science to improve the home life," then the 

 chemist, the physicist, and the economist may each be expected to 

 contribute his share. Studies corresponding, for instance, to those 

 recently reported from the department of bacteriology of the Uni- 

 versitj'^ of AVisconsin on the sanitary value of vacuum cleaners and 

 on the preservative action of various spices, would doubtless occur 

 to many a worker in these related sciences, and if brought to com- 

 pletion would be assured of innnediate application. 



Oftentimes, too, investigations already under way at the experi- 

 ment stations may be legitimately extended to throw light on those 

 phases of particular interest to the home. In other cases there may 

 be cooperation with home economics departments to their mutuat 

 advantage. A study of this type was completed some time ago at the 

 University of Missouri. Here the meats produced under controlled 

 conditions in connection with nutrition studies of the station were 

 utilized by a graduate student in home economics for an inquiry as 

 to the relative economy of various cuts of beef. 



An interesting develoj)ment of recent years has been the establish- 

 ment of conmiercial "housekeeping experiment stations." These 

 have thus far given particular attention to household appliances, 

 but the idea could doubtless be more widely extended. 



The responsibility for real progress in research, however, must 

 rest largely with the home economics departments. "Whatever the 

 assistance rendered by other agencies, the upbuilding of a distinctive 

 body of home economics knowledge must come mainly from investi- 

 gations by the home economics workers themselves, rather than 

 through the mere adaptations of either traditional methods or " bor- 

 rowed science." It is well known that this has already been the 

 experience in agriculture, and the close analogy between the two 

 studies warrants the prediction that the future of home economics 

 instruction depends very largely upon its establishment on a sound 

 scientific foundation by those to whom its development has been 

 specifically intrusted. 



Doubtless in many cases the undertaking of comprehensive investi- 

 . gations by home economics instructors is impracticable under present 

 conditions, but as in the early days of agricultural instruction, there 

 are a host of smaller projects awaiting and needing solution for 

 which opportunity might be found. For instance, in the field of 

 textiles, there may be cited studies of the relative durability of dif- 

 ferent fabrics as affected by such controllable conditions as the kind 

 of material, its thickness, and its closeness of weave ; the testing of 

 various solvents in removing stains from fabrics ; and the comparison 

 of soaps and detergents in different waters and temperatures. There 

 might well be additional studies of the comparative cost of household 



