EDITORIAL. 107 



of practical information, and the foundation for such special investi- 

 gations as the chemical changes which occur in the ripening and 

 the storage of crops, in the fermentation of tobacco, in the kiln 

 drying of hops, etc. Thousands of rotation experiments were carried 

 on in an attempt to get practical guidance for rotation systems in 

 different localities. Kecently, these rotation experiments have become 

 more specialized because the composite effect of the rotation is more 

 clearly recognized. An attempt is being made to determine the 

 specific effects of one crop upon the following crop in the rotation, 

 upon the biological life of the soil, and upon the factors which go 

 to determine the fertility of the land as effected by rotations. 



The improvement of field crops by breeding and selection and by 

 the use of better seed has been one of the large lines of work. The 

 difficulties in effecting permanent improvement have been found 

 greater than was earlier anticipated, and the result of the investiga- 

 tion in breeding farm crops has been to make workers more cautious 

 regarding the claims of what may be done in that line. The present 

 tendency is to attempt an analysis of the characters to determine 

 which are heritable and which can be imposed upon or combined with 

 other characters. 



In horticulture the early work of the stations was similar to that 

 with field crops, being confined to tests of fertilizers, varieties, cul- 

 tural methods, the methods of propagation, etc., of fruits and vege- 

 tables. The management of orchards, storage of the fruit, canning 

 and evaporation of fruits and vegetables, marketing, and similar 

 problems also received much attention. The work has covered all of 

 the fruits, garden crops, and nuts grown commercially in the United 

 States, and a large percentage of the familiar ornamentals. 



In the early days of the stations the urgent demand was for simple 

 experiments to give quick, definite results of interest to practical hor- 

 ticulture. After this demand had been met in considerable measure, 

 the research projects, as in other fields of agi'iculture, became more 

 specific, and centered about the underhang factors of plant gi'owth 

 and physiology. Now there are a large number of fundamental proj- 

 ects aiming at a better knowledge of the common methods and proc- 

 esses of horticultural plants, the principles of breeding as exemplified 

 in them, and the chemistry, physics, and physiology involved in these 

 processes. 



In animal feeding the range of practical experiments on which the 

 extension worker may draw is unusually wide and rich. It includes 

 all the common farm-grown feeding stuffs and all the principal by- 

 products and manufactured feeds which the market affords. The 

 value of these for all kinds of farm stock, for growth, for milk pro- 

 duction, and for work, has been tested, and their economic value has 

 18833°— No. 2—16 2 



