48o 



NATURE 



[March 14, 1901 



aggregate a large amourt of useful work has been accomplished. 

 By their own efforts and with the aid of the colleges of agriculture 

 and the State boards or commissioners of agriculture, the stations 

 are bringing their work home more closely to the farmers 

 through publications, farmers' institutes, agricultural associa- 

 tions, home reading courses, and the Press. It is becoming evi- 

 dent that farm practice in the United States is being materially 

 affected by the work of the stations, and they are more and more 

 relied upon by our progressive farmers for advice and assistance. 



The wisdom of Congress in making the Hatch fund a re- 

 search fund is every year becoming more apparent. This 

 Department is therefore disposed to more strongly insist on a 

 strict interpretation of this act in this direction, and to hold that 

 it is not only in accordance with the obligation, but also to the 

 interest of the States, to devote the Hatch fund to investiga- 

 tions in agriculture and to supplement this fund as far as may 

 be necessary to promote the interests of agriculture in other 

 lines. 



The movement for the improvement of courses of agriculture 

 in the colleges with which the stations are connected is steadily 

 growing. The past year has witnessed many changes for the 

 better as regards specialisation of the work of instruction and 

 the development of courses suited to the varied needs of 

 students. More than ever before, the colleges are reaching out 

 beyond their class rooms and are carrying useful instruction to 

 the farmers through farmers' institutes, correspondence courses, 

 and other forms of so-called university extension. As this out- 

 side work becomes better organised it is more apparent that it 

 belongs to the college rather than the station. 



As the work of both college and station grows in extent and 

 complexity, it becomes more apparent that in order to perform 

 the most efficient service the station should be organised strictly 

 as a separate department of the institution with which it is con- 

 nected, and that it should have an organisation so compact that 

 its work may proceed in accordance with a schedule carefully 

 planned and energetically administered. To secure this end, 

 experience shows that it is quite desirable that the station should 

 have a competent executive officer, who can devote his time 

 very largely to planning and directing its operations, managing 

 its general business, and representing its interests before the 

 public. It is encouraging to observe that in several States 

 during the past year these considerations have led to the more 

 complete separation- of the business of the station from the 

 general business of the college, and to the appointment of a 

 director of the station as a separate officer. 



From the very first the stations in the United States have 

 been largely engaged in the inspection of commercial fertilisers, 

 and this work has been so efficiently and usefully conducted 

 that from time to time additional inspection duties have been 

 laid upon the stations. The movement for the establishment of 

 different kinds of inspection service under authority of the 

 National and State Governments is growing apace, and it is very 

 important that the relations of this work to the other functions 

 of the stations should be clearly understood. Soon after the 

 establishment of the stations under the Hatch Act this Depart- 

 ment ruled that the funds appropriated under this Act could not 

 be legitimately applied to pay the expenses of the inspection and 

 control of fertilisers. The same principle holds good with 

 reference to other forms of inspection service demanded of the 

 stations. While the methods and usefulness of inspection in 

 any particular line are still problematical, it may be justifiable 

 for a station to take up this work to a limited extent, but as soon 

 as it becomes a matter of routine business the State should 

 provide funds for its maintenance. If it seems expedient that 

 any part of the inspection service should be performed by the 

 station under State laws and at State expense, the matter should 

 be so arranged as not in any way to interfere with the investiga- 

 tions of the station. It is a great mistake to divert the time 

 and energy of a competent investigator to the toilsome routine 

 work of inspection service. 



The number and imiortance of the experiments which the 

 stations are conducting in cooperation with practical farmers 

 and horticulturists have greatly increased of late. Thousands 

 of such experiments are now annually conducted in the United 

 States. These range all the way from simple tests of varieties 

 of plants to special experiments in the management of farm or 

 horticultural crops, live stock, or particular operations, such as 

 tobacco curing. It is coming to be more clearly recognised 

 that the field operations in agriculture or horticulture conducted 

 on the station farm need to be supplemented by similar work in 



NO. 1637. VOL. 63] 



a considerable number of localities in order to be of general 

 usefulness to the State. By going into different localities, as 

 the needs of its work demand, the station can make itself more 

 useful to the State as a whole. Without doubt cooperative 

 experiments need to be very carefully planned and thoroughly 

 supervised to be successfully conducted, and their success 

 depends on their quality rather than their number. It is 

 encouraging to observe that more careful attention is being 

 given to this important matter by station officers, and it is 

 believed that this work may be made much more economical and 

 useful than the permanent suV)stations as ordinarily managed. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — In consequence of the death of Sir John Conroy, 

 a [tutoiial fellowship in chemistry and physics, to be held in 

 conjunction with the Bedford Lectureship, is announced at 

 Balliol College. The fellow elected will be expected to super- 

 vise the whole science teaching of the College and to give 

 instruction in chemistry and elementary physics. Applications, 

 with the names of three persons to whom reference may be 

 made, must be sent to the Master on or before April l8. 



Profs. E. A. Minchin and A. Sedgwick have been appointed 

 public examiners in zoology. 



Scholarships in natural science are announced for June i8 

 at Merton ColKge, New College, and non-collegiate students. 



Cambridge. — The Smith's Prizes are awarded to Mr. G. H. 

 Hardy and Mr. J. H. Jeans, of Trinity College. Mr. P. V. 

 Bevan, of the same College, receives honourable mention. The 

 prizemen were second and fourth wranglers respectively in 1898. 

 Mr. Bevan was fourth wrangler in 1899. 



Mr. L. Doncaster, of King's College, is nominated to the 

 University table at the Naples Zoological Station. 



Miss Meyer has presented to the Geological Museum the 

 valuable collections made by her brother, the late Mr. C. J. A. 

 Meyer. 



The senate of Glasgow University has resolved to confer 

 the honorary degree of LL. D. upon Prof. A. W. RUcker, Sec. 

 R.S. , at the graduation ceremony on April 23.. 



The council and senate of University College, Liverpool, 

 has passed a resolution " that any measure dealing with the 

 organisation and control of secondary education should provide 

 for the direct representation of Universities and University 

 colleges in the local authorities which such Bill may establish." 



The chair of natural philosophy in the University of Edin- 

 burgh will become vacant on April 29, in consequence of Prof. 

 Tait's resignation. The patronage of the chair is vested in the 

 curators. Applications, with relative testimonials, should be 

 lodged with Mr. R. Herbert Johnston, secretary to the curators, 

 at 4, Albyn Place, Edinburgh, on or before June I. 



The annual general meeting of the Association of Technical 

 Institutions, adjourned in consequence of the death of the 

 Queen, will be held at the Fishmongers' Hall, London, on 

 Tuesday, April 16, when the president. Sir Swire Smith, will 

 take the chair and the president-elect, the Right Hon. Sir 

 William Hart Dyke, M.P., will deliver an address. 



From the ninth annual report of the Technical Instruction 

 Committee of the City of Liverpool we derive the following 

 facts as to valuable scientific instruction and work assisted by 

 the committee. A course of four lectures was given on " Elec- 

 tric Vibrations," by Prof. O. J. Lodge, F. R.S. , and a course of 

 five lectures on ," Oceanography," by Prof. Herdman, F.RS. 

 Both courses proved very successful in achieving the main 

 object for which they were designed, viz., to bring before 

 teachers of schools and classes some of the results ot the pro- 

 gress of modern science, and to illustrate the methods and lines 

 upon which this progress is proceeding. Admission to the 

 courses was free to teachers of schools and classes in Liverpool. 

 In 1900 the committee again renewed their grant (of loo/. ) in 

 aid of the scientific work carried on by the Lancashire Sea 

 Fisheries Joint Committee. A permanent Sea Fisheries Labor- 

 atory in the Zoological Department of the University College, 

 under the direction of Prof. Herdman, is partly supported by 

 this grant ; and trained assistants are constantly at work in this 

 laboratory investigating fisheries' questions th* may arise in 



