EDITORIAL. 403 



Although the revenue of the station in 1911 reached over $125,000, 

 it was derived, except for the federal funds, from the earnings of 

 the station in the laboratory and on the farm. By economy and good 

 management Dr. Scovell had been able to save from these yearly 

 earnings the funds needed for building up the physical equipment 

 without calling on the State for aid. 



He realized, however, that the State should make definite provision 

 for the station, and one of the closing features of his career was se- 

 curing from the legislature last winter a permanent appropriation 

 of $50,000 per annum for the use of the station in its experimental 

 work and to provide for extension teaching. This was a notable 

 achievement, and showed the confidence and support he had won 

 from the people of the State. It placed the station in excellent 

 financial condition, which would have enabled him in future to 

 have focused his attention on the further development of the station 

 along research lines. This development he had already set in motion, 

 and his plans would soon have made the Kentucky Station conspic- 

 uous in that field. 



To this extent, then, Dr. Scovell's greatest work was perhaps as an 

 able administrative officer, a builder of public sentiment, a provider 

 of opportunity for the work of others. But with a keen insight into 

 the needs of the agriculture of the State he instituted and conducted 

 personally experiments covering a wide range of subjects, including 

 the culture and fertilizing of staple crops, the growing and curing of 

 tobacco, and the handling of dairy cattle; and he planned for and 

 directed the activities of the members of his staff along many im- 

 portant lines of experiment and inquiry. 



This staff, of which he was the principal working member at the 

 outset, had reached over thirty in number at the close of his career, 

 all of whom devoted practically their entire attention to the station's 

 work. His position as the leader of this group is well expressed in 

 the appreciative resolutions of his coworkers, which declare that "to 

 all of us he was not only the inspiring, helpful director, doing all 

 in his power to stimulate and encourage and support the various 

 departments of the station and the agricultural college, but more 

 than all else the gentle, kindly, sympathetic friend." 



With the reorganization of the State University in 1910, Dr. 

 Scovell was urged to assume the direction of the college of agi'icul- 

 ture, a task which his deep interest in the upbuilding of agriculture 

 induced him to undertake in addition to his other duties. The 

 progress of the new college of agriculture in two years has been 

 most gratifying, and has reflected credit upon his organizing and 

 administrative skill. Provision for its permanent maintenance, like 

 that of the experiment station^, came as one of the closing efforts of his 

 life, the legislature of last year voting the university an appropria- 



