ADDRESSES 21 
This attitude of the government is expressing itself also in 
the developing ideals of agricultural experiment stations, 
which were formerly merely schools for apprentices, but which 
are now rapidly becoming schools of science. Furthermore, 
the general growth of this ideal is being felt in the universities, 
those notorious hot-beds of pure science, in the increasing at- 
tendance of practical students who have discovered that they 
must know science and must be able to explore. 
A remarkable illustration of the incidental advantage that 
often follows scientific exploration for its own sake may be 
obtained from the work of the National Research Council. 
Through that Council a large number of emergency problems 
have been referred to the various sciences. In the great 
majority of cases the necessary information has been available 
because of previous exploration. Even plant taxonomy, often 
regarded as a subject most remote from the public welfare, has 
come into prominence as our surest guide to necessary raw 
products whose ordinary source of supply is no longer avail- 
able. To know that a given plant yields a certain product is 
regarded as practical knowledge; but to know the relatives of 
that plant and their geographical distribution has proved to 
be far more valuable knowledge. 
That scientific exploration is entering upon an advanced 
stage of its development is shown by the fact that it is proceed- 
ing in its methods from analysis to synthesis. Until recently 
progress in science was marked by an increasing segregation of 
subjects, so that scientific men were distributed into numerous 
pigeon holes and labelled. A man in one pigeon hole knew little 
of the work of his colleague, and cared less. This segregation 
was immensely useful in the development of the technique of 
science, by which results are secured, but now we realize the 
fact that nature is not pigeon holed, but is a great synthesis; 
and we know that to understand nature, which is to synthesize 
our results, all of our so-called sciences must focus upon the 
problems. 
This first service of science, therefore, is that of exploring the 
unknown, and the result upon civilization is the development 
of the human race into greater intellectual efficiency, and inci- 
PALTAE TESTA RT OO MU Dp Mt ete a Pe TES 'e- Arp ate Van ty, 
