704 ■ EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 43 



Much prominence was also accorded the fostering of research in the 

 address of Secretary Meredith, who expressed himself in part as fol- 

 lows: "AA^e must [)e. frank enough with ourselves to recognize the fact 

 that fundamental research has not gone forward as rapidly as our best 

 interests demand, and it seems to me that the time has come for us — 

 the colleges and stations and the Department — to see that it is given 

 and retains the proper place in our respective organizations. I am 

 sure that nowhere has the importance of research been consciously 

 minimized, but in the exigencies of Avar and its aftermath, a situa- 

 tion has come about which, I think you will agree, amounts to neglect 

 of this basis of agricultural progress." 



Secretary' Meredith Avent on to enumerate many specific lines of 

 inquiry demanding attention, citing the economic problems in farm 

 management, marketing, and distribution, land utilization and agri- 

 cultural cooperation, methods for converting perishable and surplus 

 farm products into more stable commodities, the better utilization of 

 farm by-products, farm machinery and farm power, farm forestry, 

 and agricultural meteorology. He advocated more adequate courses 

 in the colleges to prepare workers along these lines as well as in the 

 better established fields, stating that " unless Ave are to permit an 

 insidious undermining of the Avhole structure that Ave have reared 

 through six decades of tireless Avork, we must haA^e a larger number 

 of thoroughly trained and experienced investigators to give their time 

 exclusively to research," and he strongly urged that the salary stand- 

 ards and opportunities should be made such as '' to attract and hold 

 the ablest and most farseeing scientific men in America." One of the 

 fundamental reasons for institutional inability to pay adequate com- 

 pensation he belieA^ed to be a lack of understandingonthepart of the 

 public of the importance of research Avork. and he adA^ocated greater 

 efforts to correct this condition by demonstration '' to the people in 

 the cities, as Avell as those in the rural districts, that the funds de- 

 A^oted to agriculture are not used in the interest of the farmer alone 

 but in the interest of the consumer as Avell." 



The address ^of the Secretary also emphasized the need of close co- 

 operation betAveen the agricultural colleges and the Department of 

 Agriculture. As one means to this end he announced a recommenda- 

 tion to Congress for the appointment Avithin the Department of a 

 director of scientific Avork, avIio Avould be a permanent official and 

 Avho Avould deA^ote himself to the development and coordination of 

 the research Avork of its various branches and to fostering the further 

 correlation of these activities Avith those of the appropriate State 

 agricultural agencies. The exchange of scientific workers by the 

 Department and the colleges Avas also suggested. 



One of the most notable j^apers of the conA^ention Avas that of Dr. 

 A. E. Taylor of the University of Pennsylvania and associated with 



