CONVENTION OF COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 515 



Discussing this subject, J. H. Worst emphasized the importance 

 of teaching the "hereditary farmer" ways of utilizing the develop- 

 ments of modern science for equij^ping the rural home with domestic 

 and sanitary conveniences; and A. B. Cordley held that the best 

 assistance that can be given the farmer is a local demonstration of 

 the commercial success of a scientific system of farming adapted to 

 his own conditions. Such a system must be so devised as not only 

 to b6 profitable to the individual farmer, but also to conserve and 

 increase the fertility of the soil. It can not be regarded as success- 

 ful if it fails in either of these respects. 



SECTION ON EXPERIMENT STATION WORK. 



The topics discussed in this section were The Relation of the Sta- 

 tion Director to the Members of His Staff, The General Problems of 

 Irrigation and Methods of xVttacking Them Experimentally, and 

 Seepage and Drainage and Their Relation to Irrigation. 



Under the first topic, E. Davenport discussed three theories of ad- 

 ministrative policy, (1) that in which the director is the source of 

 all authority, (2) that in which the director is nothing more nor less 

 than a presiding officer with no authority whatever, and (3) that 

 which aims to secure the business facility and, upon occasion, the ad- 

 ministrative strength of the first without interfering with the per- 

 sonal initiative of the staff worker. The third policy of administra- 

 tion was approved on the ground that it makes the director to a large 

 extent an impersonal officer and promotes the personal initiative of 

 the worker and thus increases the efficiency 'of the work. 



A. D. Selby, of Ohio, thought the nature of the work must de- 

 termine the character of the administration. He held it to be a 

 special duty of the director to insure timeliness and continuity of sup- 

 port for the work of station men. H. J, WHieeler and H. L. Russell 

 thought it was not good administrative policy to apportion the funds 

 too closely in advance, but that this apportionment should be left to a 

 large extent in the hands of the director. In any case a considerable 

 reserve should be kept for emergencies. J. L. Hills stated that he 

 had used a budget with 10 per cent reserve based upon expenditures 

 of two previous years. Frequent conferences with station men were 

 advocated by E. Davenport. The need of closer supervision of the 

 more scientific work was pointed out by H. J. Wheeler and A. C. 

 True. H. L. Russell and L. G. Carpenter commended the project 

 system of keeping track of the work in progress. 



In connection with the proposal for a journal of agricultural 

 science (see p. 510) C. D. Woods presented a consensus of opinion of 

 station directors favoring the establishment of such a medium of 

 publication. 



