EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. IX. No. 4. 



The report of the section on agriculture and chemistry presented 

 to the Minneapolis Convention of the Association of American Agricul- 

 tural Colleges and Experiment Stations (sec p. 303) deals with a matter 

 of very great importance to our agricultural experiment stations. The 

 subject has already been much discussed at meetings of station officers 

 and elsewhere. As a rule, however, the discussion follows theoretical 

 lines and often loses sight of the pertinent facts as brought out by the 

 actual condition of our agricultural colleges and experiment stations. 

 Some points on which those who criticised the report of the committee 

 at Minneapolis laid especial stress are quite generally admitted as true 

 in a general way, but concerning their application to the question in 

 debate there is apparently much misunderstanding*. The interrelation 

 of the college and station as provided by the Hatch Act is commonly 

 regarded as a thing widely naturally strengthens both instruction and 

 research in the institutions benefited by that Act. The need and 

 demand of the American farmer for general information regarding 

 what experimental science has already discovered to be the means for 

 improving his practice is conceded on all hands. The advantage 

 which may accrue to the investigator from personal contact with the 

 practical farmer or the inquiring student is without doubt very con- 

 siderable, within certain bounds. And indeed after all it resolves 

 itself into a question of "metes and bounds." It is doubtful whether 

 anyone will at this late day defend the proposition that the station 

 officer ought to be a " man of all work," even in any one line ot agri- 

 cultural science. Certainly the Hatch Act makes it very plain that the 

 prime business of the stations is to investigate. Now the investigator 

 may easily add to his primary functions those of a secondary character, 

 and act as a teacher, lecturer, or ready-reference information monger. 

 The real question is how far can he go in this secondary business with- 

 out injuring his ability and success as an investigator. After careful 

 inquiry and personal examination of the conditions existing at our 

 stations we are prepared to answer this question so far at least as to 

 affirm without fear of successful contradiction that the investigator can 

 not act so much as teacher, lecturer, and information monger as he is 

 actually doing at many of our stations without seriously impairing his 

 usefulness as an investigator. Four or five hours a week in the class 

 room or laboratory with advanced students may be a most inspiring 

 thing for a station investigator, but it is a far different matter when he 



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