610 EXPERIMENT STATIOIS' RECORD. [Vol.41 



the most critical examination by scientific method and the most 

 varied test in practical application. The nature of some of the 

 criticisms and attacks by scientific men on one another was thought 

 to lead to "a great and growing skepticism in the mind of the gen- 

 eral public of the soundness and impartiality of the findings of re- 

 search." The development of a real spirit of constructive cooper- 

 ative attack, and a more friendly and tolerant attitude between in- 

 vestigators, it was believed would do much to remedy public distrust 

 of the objects and the methods of research workers. 



Cooperation was also referred to as a means of husbanding the 

 meagre resources of the stations, securing larger results and greater 

 progress in certain lines for the public money spent, avoiding un- 

 necessary duplication, and standardizing the conduct of experiments 

 in similar lines so that they will be more directly comparable. 



An illustration of the opportunity for beneficial working together 

 was furnished by Director Thorne in the subject of carriers and 

 forms of phosphorus used as fertilizer. Analyzing the various fac- 

 tors involved in a complete study of the subject he concluded that 

 " no one station can furnish a final answer to all these questions, for 

 they must be studied under a wider range of soil and climatic con- 

 ditions than are found in any single State. Moreover, the scope of 

 the investigation is so broad that few stations will feel able to 

 undertake the entire inquiry ; but by parceling out the work, assign- 

 ing part to one State and part to another, and so articulating the 

 whole that there will be a common ground on which all will meet, it 

 will be possible at least to very materially enlarge the boundaries 

 of our knowledge on this subject." 



In outlining the plans for studies in farm management and farm 

 economics, Dr. Taylor made the point that cooperation is quite nec- 

 essarily involved, since in considerable extent it involves a crystal- 

 lizing of the results of investigation in other branches, as well as 

 securing data of wide scope and volume. Hence in his judgment 

 the establishment of right relations with other workers in the field 

 of agricultural research demands the right application of the prin- 

 ciples of division of labor and cooperation. 



The broad question of a closer union and understanding between 

 the work of the stations themselves and that of the Federal Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture was presented in the report of the committee 

 on projects and correlation of research. The report suggested that 

 the time had come for formulating plans looking to more definite 

 coordination. It suggested the provision of an agricultural re- 

 search council, to be composed of representatives from the stations 

 and the Department, with headquarters in Washington. Such a 

 council, it was thought, would first make a survey of all the work 

 of the stations and the Department, and on the basis of this would 



