EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XXXIV. March, 1916. No. 4. 



The death of Dr. E. "W. Hilgarcl, of California, closes a notable 

 career of service to agriculture, both in length and in accomplish- 

 ment. It marks the passing of the last of the earlier group of 

 pioneers in agricultural education and research. The work he did 

 dealt with the very fundamentals of agricultural advancement, at a 

 period when men saw the needs less clearly and few were qualified 

 to carry the work forward. Gauged by the time and opportunity, 

 it will remain a great work. Who shall attempt to measure the result 

 of it, or the influence of the high standards he set ! 



It is the habit to pay tribute to men of greatness after their work 

 is closed and they are no longer able to read such words of praise. 

 It seems far better to recognize a man's service while he is doing it, 

 and to give him the sense of appreciation. Happily, the world did 

 not wait until retirement or death to honor Dr. Hilgard. Reward 

 came in his active years, in a world-wide recognition and esteem 

 which gave him an undisputed place among the leaders, and in the 

 realization of his vision of the place of agriculture in the university 

 and the State. 



Three universities conferred the degree of doctor of laws upon 

 him; the University of Heidelberg, where he studied, reissued the 

 doctor's degree to him in 1903 as a " golden degree," in recognition 

 of a half century's work for science; and the Academy of Sciences 

 of Munich presented him with the Liebig medal for distinguished 

 achievements in agricultural science. These academic honors reflect 

 the high esteem in which he was held as a man of science. In his 

 State and in his university he was honored and reA^ered, and among 

 the representatives of agricultural research and education he was 

 long accorded a foremost place. 



These were the rewards of a life work which had been done under 

 many difficulties and discouragements. Backwardness in recognizing 

 our agricultural institutions made financial support meager and op- 

 portunity and encouragement correspondingly limited. But in some 

 way he found time and means to carry forward his investigation, 

 and thus help to lay broad and deep the foundation for agricultural 

 teaching. It was here that his service was most notew^orthy. His 

 later years were gladdened by the new order, which placed agricul- 

 ture in a high position in the university and in the life of the people. 



TMs gave to his life a rich measure of fulfillment. 



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