EDITOKIAL. 203 



endeared liiiii to all \\1k) knew him. It nianifested itself in his response 

 at the Rothamsted Jubilee in 1898, which was largely a tribute to his 

 life-lono- coadjutor. ""Had it not been for the constant labors of Dr. 

 Gilbert,"' he declared, ''the affairs of Rothamsted would have been in 

 a different state to that in which they now are." 



In 1889 Sir John transferred the laboratories and experimental 

 fields of Rothamsted to a board of trustees with an endowment of 

 nearly a half million dollars, thus making- liberal provision for contin- 

 uing the investigations permanently. 



The influence of the Rothamsted station upon agricultural investi- 

 gation in this country has l)een very potent and far-reaching. Long 

 before the experiment station movement in the United States its 

 work Avas widely known and did much to prepare the way for agricul- 

 tural investigation here. Many a professor of agriculture gained his 

 first inspiration for experimental work from a visit to Rothamsted or 

 from published accounts of the work conducted there. 



Three things have contributed to make the influence of the Rotham- 

 sted station especially strong in this country. First, it was quite well 

 known, especially among certain classes of readers of agricultural 

 literature, and was regarded by man}" of them as a model. Being an 

 English station, its literature was more accessible to many and inter- 

 course with the station was quite frequent. Second, much of its work 

 was of a more immediately practical trend and on a basis which 

 appealed to the thoughtful farmer because he could luiderstand its bear- 

 ing. It enabled farmers to see in what wa}' experiment stations might 

 contribute to the promotion of their interests. It helped to popularize 

 the movement. Finally, the conditions were more nearly similar to 

 our own, our methods of agriculture more nearly approaching those 

 of England, and the experiments had been carried on so long and with 

 such thoroughness as to inspire unusual confidence in them. 



Since the establishment of the stations the literature of the Rotham- 

 sted w^ork has been at their connnand. The work and results have 

 been explained in three series of lectures given in this country, and a 

 considei-able number of station workers have visited Rothamsted and 

 been privileged to discuss agricultural problems and methods of inves- 

 tigation with its founder. Its influence on the field work of our stations 

 has been very noticeable. The field experiments at Rothamsted are far 

 famed for their excellence and for the systematic way in which they 

 have been conducted. The methods of plat experimentation have 

 there been worked out in all the nicety of detail, and this has saved 

 our stations years of i)r(4iminary work on methods. 



The Rothamsted field experuuents deriAe their greatest value from 

 the comprehensive plan on which they were laid out, which has ena- 

 bled their scope to be extended from time to time so as to include new 



