1916] EDITORIAL. 407 



The economic factors connected with agricultural production were 

 discussed during the second week of the school. Mr. E. H. Thomson, 

 of the Office of Farm Management, with the aid of lantern slides 

 showed the geographical range of different staple crops and the 

 results of surveys by that office to determine the various natural and 

 economic factors which underlie the successful production of crops. 

 Prof. J. A. Bexell, of the Oregon Agricultural College, gave five 

 lectures on agricultural accounting and business methods, in which 

 he illustrated and emphasized the importance to the farmer of defi- 

 nite Imowledge regarding the actual income and outgo connected 

 with his farming operations. 



At the seminars of this week the different factors of production 

 and their correlation were presented by Prof. M. B. Cummings of 

 the University of Vermont for pomology, Prof. L. C. Corbett of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry for market gardening. Prof. E. A. White 

 of Cornell University for floriculture, Prof. E. Kasmussen of the 

 New Hampshire College for dairy husbandry, and Prof. J. E. Rice 

 for poultry husbandry, and these subjects were further discussed by 

 members of the Massachusetts College faculty representing the re- 

 spective industries. During this week also the Scientific Basis of 

 Agriculture formed the subject of two evening conferences, led by 

 Director W. H. Jordan, of the New York Experiment Station, who 

 emphasized the importance of strictly scientific investigations as a 

 basis for the improvement of agricultural practice, and the necessity 

 of employing thoroughly trained experts to give their time fully to 

 such work. 



Distribution and marketing of farm products were the economic 

 subjects discussed during the third week. Dr. L. D. H. Weld, pro- 

 fessor of business administration of the Sheffield Scientific School of 

 Yale University, defined marketing in its relations to the general 

 subject of economics, described and discussed the functions of mid- 

 dlemen, the factors involved in the cost of distribution of agricultural 

 products, the weaknesses of present methods of marketing and their 

 remedies, and the methods which should be used in investigating 

 marketing problems. He compared the methods of marketing agri- 

 cultural and manufactured products, and illustrated his subject with 

 numerous references to his own studies in both fields. 



Mr. C. J. Brand, Chief of the Office of Markets and Rural Organi- 

 zation, described the federal and state organizations for improving 

 market conditions, and discussed uniform standards of market grades 

 and packages, methods of sale of agricultural products, cooperative 

 marketing in the United States, and the cotton marketing system in 

 this country. 



At the seminars many phases of the marketing problems as related 

 to various agricultural industries were presented and discussed. 

 61574°— No. 5—16 2 



