EDITORIAL. 405 



find among existing scientific journals no special medium to which 

 they are directly appropriate. 



These are real and concrete benefits, and it seems quite likely that, 

 as Dr. Pearl predicted, " as the experiment stations take on more 

 and more the character of research institutions, and leave behind 

 more and more that type of activity which was essential at the be- 

 ginning but is now being taken over by extension departments, there 

 will be all the time an increasing proportion of the scientific output 

 published in the standard established scientific journals." 



At the same time there are some complications which arise in 

 publishing station work outside the station. One of the most im- 

 portant of these is that of scattering the station work and rendering 

 a portion of it less readily identified as a part of the activities of the 

 institution. The objection is sometimes raised that this may detract 

 from the credit accruing to the station. There seems little cause for 

 apprehension on this score, however, as the journals are a well 

 recognized standard channel for bringing new results to the atten- 

 tion of the scientific public. Furthermore, the very fact of this dis- 

 persal of station work calls wider attention to it. The Journal of 

 Agricultural Research would serve to bring this material more largely 

 together, and thus more adequately indicate the volume and variety of 

 current agricultural research. 



"Wliatever channel may ultimately be decided upon for the publi- 

 cation of the scientific and technical accounts of station work, the 

 need of a general policy in regard to outside publications and of a 

 systematic and formal method of procedure will be evident. There 

 has been some laxity in this regard in the past. At least two re- 

 quirements seem necessary to be observed: Each paper should be 

 plainly accredited to the station from which it emanates, and record 

 of it should be preserved in the station files. 



The principles in the matter seem quite clear. Since the kind of 

 material under discussion is that derived primarily from station 

 funds and work, it is for the station to determine its disposition, and 

 to look upon it as a part of its published records. It should, there- 

 fore, realize its responsibility in these articles. It may be necessary 

 for it to consider whether the utilization of an external medium will 

 be in harmony with its general policy and preferable to the use of 

 its own publications, whether the journal selected is the one best 

 adapted for the purpose in view, whether the space available and 

 style of treatment are adequate, and similar questions, bearing in 

 mind both its own interests and those of agricultural science and of 

 agriculture as a whole. 



Of late these journal articles have come to contain a relatively large 

 proportion of the technical results reported in some lines, and much 



