EDITORIAL. 303 



diate direction of an executive trained in the methods of science who 

 should not be hampered by other duties of an entirely unlike character. 



""{■i) The investigator should be free from all coercion whatever. 

 In reaching his conclusions he should be equally free from the pre- 

 scription of received opinion and the temptation to exploit his results 

 for the purpose of obtaining future support. . . . 



•'(5) Any research agency charged with a single main line of 

 investigation should be so organized that it may employ within itself 

 all necessary processes in any branch of science. The cooperation 

 of any or all of the departments of an experiment station on a single 

 problem, when necessary, should be a fundamental requirement." 



In the discussion that folloAved the presentation of the report there 

 was a frank acknowledgment of the present difficulty of attaining 

 such ideals, but it was also made clear that American investigators 

 in agricultural science have made great progress in the clear com- 

 prehension of the conditions, organization, and means necessary to 

 their attainment. A long step in advance has been made if sub- 

 stantial agreement can be reached as to ideals even though condi- 

 tions may be such that in many cases progress toward their full 

 realization must necessarily be slow. On this point Dr. W. H. Jordan 

 expressed himself as follows : " It seems to me that the thing for 

 this association to do is to establish its standards in accordance with 

 its best judgment. These standards need not be binding upon any 

 institution, but they may be worked on as rapidly as possible. The 

 adoption of such standards would not mean any reflection upon any 

 institution that is unable, because of circumstances, to entirely 

 conform to the ideal." 



The formulation of such ideals and the announcement of a purpose 

 to work toward them as rapidly as is practicable inider the circum- 

 stances prevailing in each particular case will in itself have a far- 

 reaching influence in securing for agricultural research in this 

 country and for those engaged in it the scientific standing and recog- 

 nition they should have and in increasing the scientific efficiency 

 as well as the practical usefulness of agricultural research b}^ laying 

 for it broad and enduring foundations. 



The report of the standing committee of the association on station 

 organization and policy dealt with several of the matters discussed 

 in the commission's report, but in a somewhat more specific way. 

 Like those of previous years, it was to a large extent based upon the 

 consensus of opinion of station men as to the most practicable means 

 of securing the highest efficiency in station work. 



The report jDoints out certain defects of administrative organization 

 which still prevail to some extent, and defines the functions of admin- 

 istration as related to research, as follows: 



