SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION 143 



teachers and students we generally find a desirable intellectual 

 and social stimulus. 



But the record of the past twenty-five years does not justify 

 us in expecting a fruitful research effort when teaching of the 

 kind and amount that must be done in most of our land-grant 

 colleges is a part of the duty of members of a station staff. It is 

 conceivable that giving a few lectures on advanced subjects 

 might be a distinct advantage to a research worker, but this can- 

 not reasonably be claimed for routine instruction in fundamental 

 subjects. Observation shows that classroom work of this 

 character will inevitably claim the first place in the use of the 

 teacher's time and energy. It is useless to ignore the plain re- 

 sults of experience. The fact that this combination of duties 

 seems for the most part to have been unavoidable in our experi- 

 ment station organization may excuse the situation but does not 

 nullify its effects. 



It is of little avail, however, to dwell on the past, excepting 

 as we glean the wisdom of experience. Our problems are with 

 the future. As I see it, the further development of agricultural 

 research in the United States lies primarily with the colleges and 

 universities in the preparation of men and, secondarily, with the 

 extent and conditions of the endowment of such research. Con- 

 cerning this secondary factor, little will be said at this time 

 beyond the remark that it will be fortunate when our research 

 efforts shall be farther removed from the disturbing influences 

 of an indiscriminating public sentiment and the uncertainties of 

 legislation. We have no assurance that either education or 

 research will develop normally or symmetrically if the purposes 

 and methods of the classroom and laboratory are to be standard- 

 ized by a public conception of what is their immediate vocational 

 or commercial value. 



The present fundamental need, however, is for more young 

 men endowed with a love of learning, of scholarly habit, and 

 with integrity of mind and heart, whose ambition is not for 



