552 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



The greatest service of the biology of the past decade consists in 

 having placed the science of the rearing of plants and animals in good 

 pedagogic form. The placing of the art of breeding upon a teachable, 

 scientific basis, and the realization of what is possible through the full- 

 est exercise of the man factor, gives a very hopeful aspect to the agri- 

 culture of the future. 



It is to be regretted that our students of heredity and our breeders 

 are not in closer touch with each other. Though the responsibility for 

 this lack of intimate association rests with both parties, I am inclined 

 to think that the biologists are most at fault. In the first place, some 

 of those most sanguine of a complete revolution in breeding practise 

 destroyed what confidence the agriculturists had in them by extravagant 

 and unwarranted predictions and by recommendations that were alto- 

 gether impracticable. Following this extreme optimism, the same men, 

 during the past few months, have evidenced a pessimistic attitude and, 

 what is worse, have not refrained from expressing their reactionary 

 ideas to the people who were beginning to share some of the former 

 optimism. These pessimistic utterances are based upon data concern- 

 ing supposed non-inheritance, which data, when not rejected by the 

 practical breeder, are to him suggestive of contrary conclusions. This 

 unfortunate condition is attributable to the disposition of the teachers 

 to discuss the higher debatable points with pupils who have not yet had 

 time to master the elements. 



Since the passage of the Adams Act in 1906, much new work has 

 been inaugurated that has for its object the establislmient of the right 

 relations between science, and especially biological science, and agricul- 

 ture. Some of the experiment-station projects have yielded principally 

 negative results, but are none the less valuable on that account. More 

 and better trained workers are needed, and this fact will no doubt bring 

 to the aid of biology and agriculture many capable workers such as have 

 heretofore been discouraged by the lack of opportunities to make them- 

 selves useful in this field. 



"The achievements of 'pure' science in one generation constitute 

 the formulae of the ' applied ' science of the next." These students of 

 applied science are also certain to be of great service to pure science. 

 Some of the most valuable scientific conclusions have been derived from 

 the results and carefully kept data of experimenters engaged in work 

 carried on for commercial advantages. Continued additions to the sci- 

 ence, as worked out into their applications, will continue to modify farm 

 operations. 



But it is not alone through agriculture that the world is increasingly 

 indebted to our biologists. If ninety per cent, of our farmers are ham- 

 pered in their work by their present ignorance concerning heredity, it 

 can be said with equal truthfulness that over ninety per cent, of our 



