106 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD." I Vol. 87 



proving adequate and enabling progress. The excuse that data are 

 being accumulated is not sound unless it seems reasonably clear that 

 the added data are marking progress and that the process is not 

 leading around in a circle. 



Investigation is a serious business. It requires hard study in out- 

 lining the problem as well as in its conduct. The separate experi- 

 ments comprising it are only means to an end, which are of rela- 

 tively little account in themselves unless they meet the needs and 

 are assimilated in the general plan. The kind of study demanded 

 requires time for concentration and an intensity which makes a man 

 sweat. It is a searching inquiry. 



It not infrequently happens that station workers left to themselves 

 stray outside the economic field, far beyond the bounds of an agi'icul- 

 tural experiment station. They fail to keep the natural limitations 

 of their problem in view, or, becoming engrossed with special scien- 

 tific aspects, are led far beyond the needs of the problem itself, and 

 neglect to return to it until much time and expense have been diverted. 

 It is as though a botantist studying a plant disease and finding a class 

 of uneconomic plants which also served as hosts, should allow him- 

 self to be led away into an exhaustive study of the structure and tax- 

 onomy, etc., of these hosts, far beyond the pai-ticular relationships of 

 these to his problem. No narrow view of science is implied in the 

 maintenance of reasonable boundaries to the function and field of an 

 experiment station. But it is frequently a matter which calls for the 

 discriminating attention of the administrative officer. 



Then again the general program of work needs thoughtful and 

 studious consideration to make the station's course one of progress 

 and suited to the special needs. Each station ought to have a fairly 

 definite plan, varied as conditions may require. Tiie revision of this 

 plan, the checking of work which has reached its conclusion or be- 

 come unproductive, and the introduction of new features can only 

 be done by a general officer and usually requires considerable study. 



New projects need consideration from the standpoint of expediency 

 and their relations to the general program, as well as their other 

 merits. They should be practicable in that the end sought seems 

 promising of attainment. The method of procedure should be sound 

 and competent to the purpose, as viewed from the standpoint of the 

 existing stage of science, and it should be evident that advantage has 

 been taken of all available information on the subject. The fact 

 that many of the station investigators are j'oung and with relatively 

 limited experience makes such an examination especially helpful. 

 There is evidence, however, that new projects are not always sub- 

 jected to such close, discriminating scrutiny. 



Again, inadequate supervision may result in long delay in publish- 

 ing results or in making progress reports. Many workers are prone 



