1917 J EDITOBIAL. 609 



the Federal Board of Vocational Education, the Food Administra- 

 tion, and the emergency and other work of this Department. The 

 executive committee of the association was instructed to represent 

 the interests of the association in these matters. A request from the 

 college committee that the executive committee report on the feasi- 

 bility of the preparation of a history of the Morrill Acts and sup- 

 plementary legislation was also adopted. 



The committee on graduate study discussed the status of the 

 Graduate School of Agriculture under the emergency conditions. In 

 view of the altered situation it advised the postponement for another 

 year of a decision as to continuing the school. This recommendation 

 was accepted by the association. 



The familiar question of the form and content of stati(m publica- 

 tions was discussed from various points of view. A comprehensive 

 report was submitted by the committee on experiment station organi- 

 zation and policy, which drew attention to the prevailing diversity 

 in practice. More than a score of existing series of publications were 

 enumerated, and it was stated that many of the individual series may 

 " mean one thing at one station or at one time, but another thing at 

 a different place and time," 



To relieve some of the existing confusion, the committee suggested 

 five series of publications as covering the usual needs. These in- 

 clude, besides technical papers published in scientific journals, regu- 

 lar bulletins designated as bulletins, research bulletins, regulatory 

 bulletins, circulars, and the annual report. Of these the bulletins are 

 for the general reader, and devoted primarily to the publication of 

 such " results of the station's own work as appear to be important or 

 directly useful or interesting to the serious student of practical agri- 

 culture, especially the farmer," Technical material should be given 

 special distribution, either by publication in scientific journals or in 

 regular or research bulletins, issued in limited editions. Circulars 

 when deemed necessary would include, not the popular information 

 now largely disseminated through extension series, but popular ac- 

 counts of small pieces of work, matter too ephemeral in nature to 

 appear in the bulletin series, preliminary announcements, popular 

 editions of bulletins, and similar material. The annual report is 

 regarded as an administrative document, and designed to be an 

 epitome and permanent record of the station's progress during the 

 year. 



As to subject matter, the thesis was laid down that, " the publica- 

 tions of an experiment station properly consist of accounts and 

 records of its experiments and investigations and of their applica- 

 tions, leaving to other agencies the dissemination of general informa- 

 tion and experience, propaganda, descriptions of farm devices, 



