CONVENTION OP AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES. 305 



1>. C. Buffum. of Wyoming, thought the key to the situation lay in 

 popularizing the bulletins. 



W. M. Hays, of Minnesota, suggested that possibly the way to solve 

 the question was to hold the station funds to experimental work and 

 get more money for the popular work. 



The chairman of the section on horticulture and botany was absent, 

 but a report prepared by him on the work of that section during the 

 year was read by II. H. Goodell. This report was based principally 

 upon replies to a circular of inquiry sent out to botanists and horti- 

 culturists by the chairman. These replies show a very encouraging 

 extension of the work in these iields. Increased attention is being 

 given to the equipment of the different institutions, especially for 

 physiological investigations. A list is given of the subjects under 

 investigation in these fields in the different colleges and stations, and 

 it is pointed out that these investigations are very largely of local 

 interest. It is urged that "much good could be accomplished if some 

 of the problems of general interest to great sections of the country 

 were taken under consideration by groups of botanists or horticultur- 

 ists in the same systematic manner adopted by the General ( lovernment 

 in the study of food products, etc. Such topics as improvement of 

 seeds; diseases of plants, such as corn, cotton, wheat, etc. : improve- 

 ment of native plants for food; selection and improvement of corn, and 

 improvement of cotton are of general interest to large portions of the 

 United States, and systematic work on these subjects by a number of 

 the experimenters, under direction of preconcerted plans, wdl yield 

 large and valuable results." During the eight months covered by this 

 report the botanists issued 23 bulletins aggregating 801 pages and the 

 horticulturists sent out 41 bulletins containing 1,227 pages, or a total 

 of 2,031 pages. 



The report of the section on entomology was presented by A. I). 

 Hopkins, of West Virginia. This report briefly discussed the progress 

 which has been made in teaching entomology and in entomological 

 investigations and pointed out the need of improvements in this line, 

 especially the importance of improved text-books and reference books 

 and methods of teaching. 



'•While the progress that has been made in the entomological work of the sta- 

 tions in the lino of original research is gratifying, it is not what one would he led 

 to expect from the ample facilities found in the thoroughly equipped lahoratories, 

 libraries, and .men at most of the stations haying an entomological department. 

 This lack of progress, it is plain to be seen, is not for the want of subjects demand- 

 ing investigation or of suitable men and equipment to cany on the work. In most 

 cases it is due to the limited time and energy available for this class of work. It 

 appears that some so-called experiment station entomologists are required to devote 

 all of their time and energies to teaching and routiue station duties, or it must be. 

 divided between a number of distinct departments of both college and station 

 work. ... It is plain that no progress can be made in original investigations when 

 this state of affairs exists. . . . There are teachers and there are investigators, and 

 if we would have rapid progress in the subjepts pertaining to the duties of both it 



