1917] EDITORIAL. 7 



stations may aid in bringing about many radical changes in the art 

 which will be of permanent character. 



It is hardly necessary to caution that the attempt to meet emer- 

 gency conditions should not result in the abandonment of funda- 

 mental investigations already in progress and which would suffer 

 from interruption. It is highly important to protect our institutions 

 and machinery for research. The war has dealt a severe blow to 

 those of Europe and greatly interfered with the progress of scientific 

 work. Many of the workers of outstanding ability have taken part 

 in the conflict and sacrificed their lives to it. The progress of agri- 

 cultural investigation, along with other branches, has thus been 

 handicapped to a degree which will long be felt. 



The foreign literature relating to agricultural research has very 

 materially diminished, and much of what remains has taken on a 

 war emergency flavor. The publications of this Department and the 

 experiment stations, on the other hand, have greatly increased in 

 volume. Our literature has been made use of in meeting the crisis 

 abroad, and our work will find application there later. It may be 

 one of America's responsibilities to keep alive the lines of research 

 in agriculture which were sprouted on European soil, and to add to 

 the store the product of new fundamental inquiries which by reason 

 of dealing with the principles of science will have world-wide appli- 

 cation. 



102477°— 17 2 



