842 



appeals must be made to the fanners through lectures aud farmers 

 institutes. Intellii^eut men in many localities must be persuaded to 

 give object lessons to their neighbors by following ou their own farms 

 the course recommended by the stations. Study must be devoted to 

 adapting the means of persuasion to the peculiar conditions of ditferent 

 communities. While scientific researches on special problems of general 

 interest should not aud need not be neglected, what is especially needed 

 at the present crisis is to hold public attention to the tacts alread^- 

 ascertamed. Xo opportunity should be lost to urge that the agri- 

 culture of the South must and can be diversified, to point oat what 

 crops can be profitably added to those now grown, and to teach the 

 best methods for their culture. The Southern stations are already 

 doing nuich to mold public opinion on this great problem. It ischietly 

 for their encouragement that we call the attention of our rejulers to 

 this subjet;t. In judging of the work of these stations it is imixutant 

 to keep in mind that their task is not simply to amend agricultural 

 practice in particular points but to i»romote a general change in the 

 system of farming. Whatever work they may do in the laboratory and 

 the field must he sup|»lenicnted by vigorous campaigning among the 

 people. Wise planning and skillful generalship, combine«l with the 

 missionary spirit, are lequired to make their ettbrts smu-essfnl in rescu- 

 ing the farmers at' their se<'tion from the poverty into which liliml 

 adherence to the tra<liti(Mis of the ]»ast will be sure to drag them. A 

 grave responsibility rests upon leaders in agricultural science and edu- 

 cation under such circumstances. If, however, they succeed they will 

 establish the cause of agricultural research on an enduiing foundation. 



The present number comi»letes the third volume of the Experiment 

 Station Record. A classifie<l table of contents and a full index will be 

 issued for this, as for the second voluuu'. The list of abstracts 

 includes 'M)2 l)ulletins and 4<! annual repents of the stations, (iL* publica- 

 tions of this Dcpatmrent, and ir»!> foreign articles. It will be observed 

 that while the number of station and l)«'partment publications has not 

 increased, the space de\oted to accounts of foreign woik has been 

 greatly enlarged. A new featni*' introdncc«l in the later numbers of 

 the volume is the list of titles of articles in toreign pul>li<ations. Con- 

 siderable progress has been made in extcntiing the numlH-r of foreign 

 journals regularly received and examined by thisOtlice and it is h(»i»ed 

 hereafter to still further widen our outlook in this direction. A list of 

 ^he publications issued by the Anu-rican agricnltuial c(»Hcges and 

 experiment stations from the tinu' «»f their establishment down to. Janu- 

 ary 1, 18U2, has been included in the present number. The Ofiice has 

 thus far been unable to olttain the titles of a few of these publi«atu>ns, 

 but it is hoped that the publication of the List will bring out the 

 desired information regarding them. 



