4 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol.40 



civil service laws, or the way made easy by cooperation to secure men 

 of the type needed. Many men of advanced position are, of course, 

 reluctant to take competitive examinations, as they are to become 

 candidates or applicants for positions, so that as far as such are 

 concerned the stations may be placed at a disadvantage. In any 

 event, the selection of persons for special lines of investigation in- 

 volves qualities not brought out in the ordinary examination. 



Everything considered, there is a quite widespread feeling of doubt 

 whether the experiment stations are attracting to themselves in suf- 

 ficient numbers the highest type of investigators, commensurate with 

 the nature of the station requirements and the general opportunity 

 offered for research. The operations of the regulations and restric- 

 tions mentioned above are in some measure against this, but internal 

 conditions and financial rewards are looked upon as the greatest 

 drawbacks and the most potent cause of shifting. 



The opportunity for a research career in the stations has steadily 

 improved, especially for persons freed of administrative duties. 

 There is a far larger and more attractive place than ever before for 

 the specialist who is thoroughly trained and wishes to devote himself 

 mainly to a definite and restricted field of inquiry. He no longer 

 has to do farmers' institute work, participates in extension work to 

 only a limited and incidental extent, if at all. anil he may even be 

 entirely relieved of teaching. He is protected from a time-consuming 

 correspondence on general information topics, and is not called upon 

 to compile popular bulletins or information circulars. He is relieved 

 of routine work and inspection duties, and is left free to follow his 

 particular lines of investigation. 



In other words, the work of the stations has been organized; it 

 has been more sharply differentiated from other college functions, and 

 it has more largely taken shape as a department for experiment and 

 investigation. There are still many combination men, but there are 

 far more workers than formerly who are devoting themselves prin- 

 cipally to the station activities, and there arc an increasing number 

 whose duties are limited to their investigations. Much progress ha- 

 been made in this respect, as there ha- been also in providing facili- 

 ties for investigation, which are now often of a high order rarely 

 surpassed elsewhere. A larger belief in investigation has been de- 

 veloped on the part of the public, and patience with that which is not 

 seen to be immediately applicable. These things have given greater 

 freedom, greater opportunity for the exercise of individual initiative 

 and choice, greater security, and a larger measure of the elements 

 which go to make satisfaction with one's work. The result is hearten- 

 ing to those who are in the work and who remember the change from 

 the past, but the failure to build up the station staff more rapidly on 



