EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. 37. July, 1917. No. 1. 



The response of men of science to the needs of the hour has been 

 one of the striking features in the preparation for war. They have 

 exhibited not only a desire for service but also a quick appreciation 

 of what needed to be done and of the present dependence of a 

 successful outcome upon the aid of science in n»any directions. It is 

 doubtful if this exhibition has been paralleled in any other country 

 or at any other time. We have had, of course, the example of Euro- 

 pean countries to suggest this dependence and point out directions 

 in which the services of men of science were needed, and we have had 

 the stimulating influence of nearly three years of war to arouse men 

 to action. And fortunately^ we have had both the men and the insti- 

 tutions. The latter, especially, have felt the call very keenly. The 

 institutions of the whole country have come forward with a splendid 

 spirit of service, and represent a breadth and resourcefulness which 

 already are recognized as a powerful asset. 



In this prompt response the land-grant colleges have stood out 

 conspicuously. They have shown that they were not only willing 

 but ready. They have realized the occasion as their great oppor- 

 tunity, as it w^as their duty under their Federal charter. Their initia- 

 tive and leadership have been a striking illustration of the value of 

 these institutions to the countr}^, and of the kind of training they 

 offer. Students have gone from the classroom to the officers' train- 

 ing camps and into various forms of agricultural service in such num- 

 bers as to reduce the attendance to one-third or a quarter or even less ; 

 and man}^ of the colleges cut their spring terms short to release stu- 

 dents and faculty. The agricultural extension service has become a 

 chief reliance and assumed paramount importance in stimulating 

 production, locating supplies, and giving personal aid and instruc- 

 tion to farmers, amateur gardeners, boys' and girls' clubs, and women 

 of the town and country. 



And back of it all, the experiment stations have continued their 

 quiet but effective work, shaping it where necessary to the present 

 emergency, speeding it up in other cases, and in general making their 

 results and practical suggestions the basis of action by the public. 

 Because their efforts often keep them in the background where their 



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