SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



•Taiiuary, 1921. 



iliU-ly tlie preventive measures put into successful 

 operation, or the introduction of new varieties, new 

 methods, -new machinery, means a corresponding na- 

 tional gain. The meeting together of men engaged 

 in scientific agronomical work, the discussion of prob- 

 lems of mutual interest, and the dissemination to the 

 farmers of the conclusions reached, cannot fail to 

 benefit, in a very marked degree, the agriculture of 

 the prairie provinces. 



EDITORIAL BOARD. 



In view of the fact that articles will l)e submitted 

 for iniblicatioii in "Scientific Agriculture" wliich will 

 deal with the more advanced phases of agriculture, it 

 is considered advisable that an Editorial Board should 

 be appointed to serve as a consultative body. There 

 are at least ten, and probably more, main divisions of 

 agriculture, including animal husbandry, bacteriology, 

 botany, cereal husbandry, chemistry, dairj'ing, ento- 

 mology, genetics, horticulture, veterinary scienee, 

 rural economics and rural engineering. No one person 

 is competent to pass upon the merits of technical ar- 

 ticles covering such a wide range of subjects. 



The matter is now being taken up by the Dominion 

 Executive Committee of the C. S. T. A., thro\igh its 

 general secretary, and it is proposed to appoint two 

 experts in each of the above named subjects to serve 

 as an editorial board and to take office as soon as 

 possible, probably before the end of Pebruar}\ 



There are a number of important features to be 

 considered in selecting the personnel who will con- 

 Canada, that board. In a country as far — flung as 

 Canada, considerable time is necessary in order to 

 permit the absence of articles from the point of pub- 

 lication and to provide for necessary delays before 

 their final return. This means (that consideration 

 should be given to distances from point of publication 

 and to the appointment of men who are known to be 

 systematic and reasonably prompt in the conduct of 

 such work. Then, too, the greatest care will have to 

 be taken to .select men who arc recognized as author 

 ities in their respective lines; otherwise thei'e would 

 be considerable merited criticism coming from contri- 

 butors, who might question the qualifications of the 

 appointed Board. 



In spite of these difficulties, aiul others wliich will 

 present themselves, there is much to be said in favor 

 of the proposed arrangement. The duties of the 

 Board need not be onerous, as only a comparatively 

 .small amount of material will be submitted annually 

 to any two members of it; at the same time it will 

 prevent the publication of material not considered to 

 be reliable, or results not representing adequate ex- 

 perimentation, or statistics quoted from questionable 

 sources. And, finally, it will relieve the Editor of too 

 great responsibility in the case of articles not accepted 

 for publication. 



FRENCH SECTION. 



As soon as an official organ was mooted it became 

 necessary to give recognition in some way to the 

 French speaking members of the C.S.T.A. and the ques- 

 tion of a French section was at once considered. It 

 was felt, by the publishers, however, that from a 

 commercial point of view it would be more desirable 

 to have two separate magazines, one published in Eng- 

 lish and one in French, the latter of which would be 

 under the' management of a representative of the 

 French memliers of the Society. Recently, however, 

 the editor, and liis advisers in this matter, considered 

 it more satisfactory to give the French readers all 

 material received for publication, both in English and 

 in French. It was therefore decided to publish only 

 one magazine, which will include "La Revue Agrono- 

 inique Canadienne" in the French language, edited by 

 Professor Letourneau, who had alread.y been appoint- 

 ed to edit the separate French magazine. 



We shall be happy to receive from our readers any 

 suggestions in regard to the present arrangement and 

 if it proves to be a step in the right direction we shall 

 feel that we are taking the initiative in a matter that 

 has always been more or less controversal. Should we 

 find that the publication of any French jiages in 

 "Scientific Agriculture" is not welcome it may be 

 necessary to revert to our original plan and publish a 

 se]>arate magazine, but we cannot believe that such 

 will ever be necessary. In this connection it is in- 

 teresting to have the opinion of men like Dr. Charles 

 E. Saunders, Dominion Cerealist, who in a recent com- 

 munication upon this question expressed himself as fol- 

 lows : 



"I l)elieve that what the h'reueh members want 

 chiefly is the courteous recognition of their native 

 language rather than its eoiistant tise. Probably all 

 the French subscribers would be competent to read 

 the English articles, and would be well satisfied to 

 read them in that language. 



■'Would any English-speaking jjeople be offended, 

 or would any English-speaking subscribers be lost be- 

 cause of a French section appearing in each issue? 

 Certainly very few. I hope none. Foreign sub- 

 scribers would not object and neithei- would the educ- 

 ated Engli.sh-speakiug readers — who will certainly 

 constitute the bulk of the subscribers. 



"Let me emphasize my belief that the printing of a 

 French section in each number would not only be far 

 less expensive, but would give better satisfaction to 

 the people of Quebec, and would also contribute 

 towards the develoi)ment of that spirit of fraternity, 

 between the French and English section.s of the C. S. 

 T. A., which is so desirable." 



Communications from otlicr readers of tliis magazine 

 will be welcome. 



