EDITORIAL. 945 



Moreover, the attention which any ,sin>4•U^ institution can devote to it 

 is necessarily small, and as the results are of uniform value wherever 

 food inspection is carried on in this country, it is too much to expect 

 a single station to cover the whole tield. While Mr. Winton is a 

 pioneer in this work, he has not preempted the whole tield, and would 

 no doul)t rejoice to see his etforts seconded at many places. 



Investigation of this sort can not be regarded as strictly in the tield 

 of the chemist and need not l)e restricted to him. It is essentially^ 

 botanical in its character and methods, and much \alua))h? assistance 

 could be rendered l)y botanists in conducting these histological studies, 

 who would Hnd in them a line of investigation of increasing interest 

 and practical utility. Indeed, this would seem to he an inviting and 

 protitable opening to young 1)otanists seeking a special line of work, and 

 art'ord greater opportunity for original contributions than some of the 

 more hackne3"ed lines. The subject, however, is one in which prospec- 

 tive food chemists should perfect themselves, and it illustrates the grow- 

 ing importance of broad training for men who are to enter this held. 



It is obviously impracticable in most institutions to divide the work 

 of inspection, assigning the microscopical examination to a botanist 

 and restricting the chemist to the chemical analysis. The most prac- 

 tical plan seems to be for one man to master both lines of work, and 

 although ho need not himself execute all of the details, he should be 

 thoroughh' familiar with them and competent to interpret the results. 

 Such preparation calls for suita])le courses of instruction, to which 

 ver}" little attention has yet been given in this country, although the 

 subject has a recognized place in many continental univcn-sities. It 

 calls for a combination of chemical and botanical studies, Avhich are 

 already on the curriculum of nearly ever}^ college and school of tech- 

 nology, ])ut which are not as yet brought together so as to constitute 

 a prescribed course. The growth of both State and Goverimient work 

 in the inspection of foods and feeding stutfs, as well as the increased 

 employment of men of special training, in packinghouses, canneries, 

 flouring mills, glucose factories, baking establishments, confectionery 

 works, and the like, would seem to make it worth while for at least a 

 few institutions to provide courses suited to the needs of such men. 



The desirability of the analyst conducting some research work, to 

 prevent him from getting into a rut and becoming a mere rule-of- 

 thumb workei", is (juite as apparent in this as in an}^ other line of 

 routine work. Studies of this character, which can be taken up at odd 

 times, will do much to relieve the dull grind c f routine analysis and 

 to keep the chemist fresh for liis work. 



The death of Kmilc Duclaux removes a prominent and conspicuous 

 worker in a tield l)oi(lei-ing closely on agriculture. His name is a 

 familiar one to readers of this journal, for so nnich of his work in 

 recent years related to some phase of agricultural science that special 



