EDITORIAL. , r ) 



lions, and requirements which would make him specially suited to 

 deal intelligently with enterprises of thai sort. Indeed, there is at 

 present no little difficulty in securing sufficienl men who bave the 

 special qualifications to undertake investigations in this field, and who 

 will be able to sec clearly the problems of a locality without special 

 supervision. 



Agricultural engineering is now attracting more attention as a defi- 

 nite branch of agricultural science and practice. It embraces a suffi 

 ciently comprehensive Held to set it off as ;i department by itself, and 

 it is clearly within the scope of the agricultural college to develop 

 instruction in this branch, which is hound to become of increasing 

 importance. Moreover, the collegesof agriculture and mechanic arts 

 are peculiarly adapted to training men in this line, and they afford 

 facilities which are not to be had at the ordinary engineering school-. 

 The present interest and activity in investigation and reclamation work 

 of this sort, and the probabilities of development in the near future. 

 make the outlook for such specialists very good. The advantages 

 which men trained in agricultural engineering would possess would 

 soon come to be appreciated. 



With the beginning of the seventeenth volume of the Record, the 

 classification of the abstract part has been slightly modified and several 

 new departments added. The changes in arrangement are made with 

 a view to conforming more closel} T to the classification of agriculture 

 and relating the pure to the applied science. 



Rural engineering, which is rapidly growing in importance, has 

 been made a separate editorial department, and it is planned to materi- 

 ally strengthen the review in this line. Rural economics is receiving 

 more attention as a branch of agricultural instruction and investiga- 

 tion, and matters within its scope now go to make up a considerable 

 literature. As these writings are scattered through quite a variety of 

 periodicals, their review will be especially helpful to those interested in 

 following the progress in this relatively new department and showing 

 its relationships. 



It has frequently been suggested that more attention be given in the 

 Record to matters relating to agricultural education. In the past 

 notes upon various phases of the movement have been presented from 

 time to time, but hereafter a review of the more important papers, 

 books, and other contributions which mark the progress of agricultural 

 instruction in its various grades will be maintained, and this material 

 will be brought together in a regular department of the Record. 



It is hoped that these developments will make the journal a more 

 helpful review to its present readers, and possibly extend its usefulness 

 in new directions. 



