404 EXPERIMENT STATlOIs RECOfiD. [Vol.87 



ideas as he can himself possibly follow up with research. Hardly 

 any one who has completed advanced work in a science can read, 

 say an abstract journal, without thinking of many problems which 

 he would like to investigate." 



The leaders of research " have not only a taste for research and 

 logical minds to analyze clearly and attack problems with thorough 

 scientific knowledge, but have a knowledge of the principles of re- 

 search, getting the most out of their own minds, avoiding side issues, 

 cooperating with their colleagues, and putting their most valuable 

 results in permanent, readily available form. Research is one of the 

 youngest of the professions and one with a promising future, but 

 let no one enter it without thorough knowledge or a full understand- 

 ing of its aims and methods." 



And again he says, in speaking of the incentive to do the best that 

 is in a man — to live up to his possibilities: "A great many students 

 enter research because their favorite professors have made reputa- 

 tions in research or because their friends and colleagues are doing 

 such work. Incentive by contact covers tlie psychology of getting 

 started at the line of work you wish to become interested in. It is 

 well known that the work itself produces a reaction on one's mind 

 which makes it much easier to continue the work. . . . Incentive 

 by contract to put forth our best efforts comes from putting ourselves 

 under obligation to produce certain results," that is, the setting or 

 acceptance of a task and undertaking to accomplish it. 



This " incentive by contract," it may be noted, finds familiar ilhis- 

 tration in station research in the project system so largely employed, 

 and is one of the important advantages of it. The project outline 

 is an attempt to block out on paper a definite line of inquiry, to 

 answer a specific question or add a step toward the solution of a 

 problem. Having formulated this undertaking and set his hand 

 and mind to it, there is larger obligation and incentive for the in- 

 vestigator to accomplish the purpose as far as possible. It has be- 

 come a venture on which his scientific reputation and ability may be 

 gaged. This and the desire for accomplishment should be an incite- 

 ment to hold to the main issue, refusing to follow side lines which de- 

 velop; and it is also an added argument for the analysis of broad 

 problems and the fi'aming of projects within reasonable scope, so 

 that the end may be promising of attainment. 



Too broad and comprehensive projects reflect laudable ambition 

 but point to inadequate realization of practicability and usual limi- 

 tations. The large things often seem more attractive and worth 

 while to the worker of limited experience and outlook, but to be 

 practicable of attainment and bring credit to the investigator the 

 project of definiteness and limited scope has proved to be far more 

 promising in agriculture. Some large projects which have been 



