2 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORI). 



to tropical culture, g'eneral a.i>riculture, and stock raising. Experi- 

 ments are to be made at different altitudes with native and introduced 

 tropical plants to determine those best suited to cultivation in that 

 region, and the crops best suited to general farmiii'g and to stock 

 raising. Later the station is to supply these plants and seeds on a 

 commercial scale. In addition to this, economic problems are to be 

 considered to ascertain how far t\ie country may be suited to the colo- 

 nizing of (lerman settlers, the amount of capital required to start in 

 different kinds of farming, and the ]n'obable profits. 



The suggestive article on the jdiysiological role of i>lants by Prof. 

 Edmond Gain, of the University of Nancy, France, in the present 

 number of the Record, is one of a series of articles on subjects relating 

 to j)hysiological botany, i)repared, at the suggestion of this oftice, by 

 eminent experts, to aid our agricultural experiment stations in organ- 

 izing investigations witli a view to working out more comi)letely the 

 physiology of cultivated plants. The need and importance of work in 

 this line have been previously dwelt upon in the Record. It is encour- 

 aging to note that a number of stations are beginning to develop 

 inquiries in this direction, and there is good reason to l>elieve that 

 before long results of scientific and i)ractical interest will be attained. 

 One notable phase of the movement to consider more closely the 

 Adtal functions of jdants in the ho])e of ultimate benefit to agriculture 

 from such studies is well brought out in the article under considera- 

 tion. Increased activity in researches in physiological botany is coin- 

 cident with the systematic attempt to establish inquiries in soil physics 

 Oil a firm basis and with a great awakening of interest regarding the 

 problems of irrigation in both arid and humid regions. The scope of 

 agricultural science is thus being greatly widened, and at the same time 

 the need of cooperative effort by scientific workers in different lines is 

 being emphasized. Additional reasons are constantly being presented 

 for the more thorough organization of the individual experiment station 

 on a plan which will enable it to groui) its work around some central 

 leading idea, each worker contributing his share to the solution of some 

 important problem of agricultnre. It is daily becoming more incompre- 

 hensible why any station should pursue an irregular or hit-or-miss 

 policy, or why public funds should be wasted in so-called i)ractical 

 experiments which in the nature of the case can only bring disai)point- 

 ment to both investigator and farmer. We commend the article of 

 Professor Gain, as well as the other articles of this series, not only to 

 specialists in physiological botany, but also to managers of experiment 

 stations who are seeking to improve and strengthen their work. 



