EDITORIAL, 213 



the pest, even though it involve some added labor on the pari of the 

 farmer. If the weed is a sufficiently troublesome pest to command 

 attention it is worth serious study, and the attempt should be to pre- 

 scribe an effective and practicable method of ridding fields of it. 



Unfortunately, not all investigators arc good writers. They do not 

 have the ability t<> present what they report in a logical, orderl) 

 sequence, so that one can follow clearly step by step and understand 

 without a partial rereading of the article. This lack of coordination 

 is tin* most serious editorial fault of our station literature, and the 



inference from it often is the serious one that the writer has not ana 



lyzed his subject and coordinated it> different parts. The subject is 

 frequently befogged by bringing a side issue into the discussion, and 

 Suggestions often lose their force from the manner in which they are 

 presented. Clearness and simplicity of presentation are of far greater 

 importance than form and style, and arc especially desirable in publi- 

 cations intended for popular consumption, like the majority of the 

 station bulletins. 



'There should be some person connected with each station whose 

 business it is to edit the station publications— to read them critically 

 and see that the text and tables are clear and logical. lb' may not be 

 a special officer, but he should represent the director in this important 

 function. While this work calls for great tact, a discreet and consci 

 entious editor may exert great influence on the character of the litera- 

 ture of a station. This has been demonstrated at several stations 

 where more attention is given to these matters. The investigator 

 should welcome the editor who can suggest some more effective and 

 attractive form for presenting his ideas. 



The text should be edited for fact as well as for clearness, and in 

 this the scrutiny of specialists in a number of lines will often be help- 

 ful. It will prevent narrowness, and will make the bulletin the prod- 

 uct of the constructive and critical skill of a number of minds. It 

 were well for every station man to regard the publication of his bul- 

 letin as the culmination of his work upon the subject up to that 

 point, the product by which his colleagues and the world will judge 

 him. His real interest lies in that which will endure, will serve a- a 

 basis for science, or will at once serve an economic end. And the 



people's real interest is that the economic relations of scientific work 



be so clearly developed that their application can be made in everyday 

 affairs. 



The exercises connected with the installation of Dr. Edmund Janes 

 flames as president of the University of Illinois occupied most of the 

 week beginning October IT), and were of an unusually interesting 

 character because of the Large number of administrative officers and 



