414 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



the colleges, and enumerated some of the problems which need 

 investigation. 



Laborator}^ and field work for students in horticulture was discussed 

 by E. S. Goff, who laid much stress on the educational value of work 

 of this character, holding- that the student who is to become a horti- 

 culturist should be trained in the practical operations of the art. 



F. W. Card discussed the Educational status of horticulture, empha- 

 sizing* the educational value of the study of horticulture, and John 

 Craigf described the nature study movement and its workings in New 

 York State. 



G. E. Stone presented a paper on The function of the station botan- 

 ist, the central idea of which was that the function of the station bot- 

 anist is primarily research, the nature of which must bear intimate 

 relation to agriculture. 



The grass and forage plant investigations in the Department of Agri- 

 culture and the experiment stations was reviewed by T. A. Williams, 

 especial attention being given to the history of this work in the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, the lines of work pursued by the Division of 

 Agrostology, and cooperative work with the experiment stations. In 

 conclusion, some of the important results of grass and forage plant 

 in\estigations were enumerated. The author urged the importance of 

 this line of investigation and pointed out the advantages of cooperation. 



Progress of variety testing in experiment station work was the sub- 

 ject of a paper by F. W. Rane. He showed that "" while most stations 

 are doing more or less with varieties the general feeling seems to 

 prevail among station workers that after all it is not worth the time 

 and expense necessar3^" The really new introductions each year were 

 shown to be few, the total number for 1900, as shown by an examina- 

 tion of catalogues of 12 of the largest seedsmen, being 24 varieties 

 of vegetables. The view was expressed that by properly S3^stematiz- 

 ing the work the expense and labor of Aariety testing might be 

 reduced, and that if properl}^ managed it constituted a legitimate line 

 of horticultural work. 



B. D. Halsted showed what the experiment stations have done in 

 originating varieties of plants by crossing and selection, the various 

 lines of activity in this regard at different experiment stations being- 

 summarized. Extensive work is in progress in the improvement of 

 corn, cotton, wheat, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural plants. 



The relation of the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction to experi- 

 ment stations was presented by J. G. Smith, who reviewed the history 

 of the section, the work which it is doing in cooperation with the 

 stations, and some of the more important results. W. E. Britton 

 described a vegetation house arranged for pot experiments. 



