EDITORIAL. G03 



-world, we commend the courage of its convictions and feel a new 

 assurance that agricultural investigation at the experiment stations 

 is not to be bound b}' any narrow view or impatient demand. Such 

 an attitude evidences a deep appreciation of research as thorough 

 and enlightened as present knowledge permits. It shows a determi- 

 nation not only to make its work thorough but constructive, adding 

 to the sum of knowledge not by duplication but by building upon 

 what has already been found. 



Of course only a station liberally i)rovidcd with means could 

 undertake so comprehensive a piece of work. Usually the investi- 

 gator will need to compile the literature, if at all, only in a narrow 

 field relating to the project on which he is working. Regard must 

 be had for the fitness of things and for the proper proportions at all 

 times. And if this work had stopped with the making of a compila- 

 tion and critical digest it would be less worthy of an experiment 

 station, but it formed a real part of a line of investigation in which 

 Dr. Forbes has already made notable progress. The compilation is 

 not an end in itself but its evident purpose is to clear the field as far 

 as practicable, in order that the author and other investigators may 

 know just the status of investigation in that field and so be better 

 prepared to do thoroughly constructive work. 



The review' has given not only the results but the point of view 

 and the method of attack which others have developed, and has fur- 

 nished the basis for a critical examination and comparison to show 

 the sources of error in investigation and in reasoning. Thus in a 

 large way it takes advantage of the accumulated experience of many 

 individual workers. By this means theories, views, and plans become 

 crystallized and perfected. 



A clear vision and purpose is the first great essential in investiga- 

 tion. The aim is what gives the work direction and largely deter- 

 mines its quality. A clear conception of the purpose of agricultural 

 experiment and investigation w^ill not be satisfied Avith a superficial 

 attack or an aim which does not sight beyond what is already known, 

 or what last year's results showed, or the empirical facts they estab- 

 lished in a large way. Hence, the spirit of Dr. Forbes' review 

 applies to our experimental work as a whole. This is its broader 

 application. 



We have reached a point in experiment station work where it is 

 more pertinent than ever that more attention should be given to mak- 

 ing the work progressive in aim if not always in actual attainment. 

 We need to define clearly the end of real experiment and the begin- 

 ning of demonstration. Each new piece of work which is undertaken, 

 whether it be of experimental grade or research, has the advantage of 

 accumulated experience and results out of wliich method, fact, and 

 theory have developed. It is reasonable to expect, therefore, that it 



