GENERAL OBSERVATIONS: ON TEAM WORK 657 



of their own and seldom accomplish much. These are at just 

 the other extreme from those expansive persons whose loquacity 

 is their worst enemy. There is, however, a happy middle ground 

 where justice and mutual esteem prevail. 



Usually in team work there must be a leader, if the various 

 separate researches are to be properly codrdinated, and always 

 there must be frequent conferences and a mutual good under- 

 standing. This generally involves proximity. It is of little use, 

 ordinarily, in my judgment, to undertake long-distance coopera- 

 tions in biological research. Either money is wasted by lack 

 of careful planning and constant supervision, or one party gets 

 the lion's share of credit by publishing in advance of and without 

 the consent of the other party or, finally, one does most of the 

 work or makes most of the discoveries and yet must share 

 equally with the shirker, or with the dull one. Such coopera- 

 tions are always a loss to one of the contracting parties, and 

 frequently also, from neglect on the part of one of the coopera- 

 tors, a loss to science. Said a well known experiment station 

 director to me some years ago: "If I have discovered any good 

 thing I am going to keep it to myself; if you have discovered 

 any good thing, and wish to share it, I shall be very glad to 

 'cooperate.'" I also heard another station director say in 

 public, frankly and without shame, that he wished to get all of 

 the Government money he could for expenditure in his own State, 

 but that he cared nothing for researches outside of it. This, 

 I believe, is the kind of cooperation many people have in mind, 

 but it is not the sort that makes for the advancement of science, 

 or that which I have in mind. In true team work each party 

 does his share honestly and efficiently and the credit belongs 

 equally to all. Nevertheless, the most brilliant and far-reach- 

 ing discoveries are usually the product of a single mind. 



The field applications of research, on the contrary, afford 

 many opportunities for useful cooperations in plant pathology. 



ON SHARING CREDITS 



This is a delicate subject and views differ, especially the 

 views of younger and older workers. What I shall have to say 

 belongs logically under two heads. 



