EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XXXII. February, 1915. No, 2. 



The Philadelphia meeting of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science Avas a notable one for agriculture, for it 

 marked its definite enrollment among the sections of the association. 

 This does not apply specifically to the occupation of agriculture, 

 but as Professor Bailey explained, to "the assembly of scientific 

 research that deals with the problems of the occupation and of the 

 living resulting from the occupation." 



As a subject, agriculture has formed a no small part of the pro- 

 ceedings at past meetings, in the sections of botany, chemistry, 

 physiology, economics, etc., and several affiliated societies have con- 

 cerned themselves with matters more or less agricultural. But at 

 this meeting the subject of agriculture as a department of applied 

 science and as a branch of industry presenting large social, eco- 

 nomic, educational, and political "problems, was given place in the 

 organization of the association, along with the older abstract sci- 

 ences, with engineering, with medicine, and with education, and 

 brought into its councils on an equal footing. 



This is a great and interesting change, how great those who 

 have been longer in the agricultural work can the more readily 

 comprehend. Time was, and not so long ago, when agriculture as 

 a subject had no place in an association of sciences and would not 

 have received an invitation. The man who should attempt to pre- 

 sent a strictly agricultural topic before such an association would 

 have been out of place, because there was so little basis for a thor- 

 ough scientific treatment, and because agriculture as a subject of 

 general interest to science had not yet won its way. The change 

 which has come is, therefore, a twofold one. It applies to the re- 

 markable scientific advancement of the subject itself, which finds 

 few parallels, as well as to a change of attitude on the part of men 

 of science. 



Agriculture has earned a place among the sciences, and having 

 earned it has been recognized and formally admitted into the fel- 

 lowship of the sciences. This came without solicitation. It will 

 now be for the subject and for the group thus honored to see that 



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