June, 1921. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE 



243 



"over against our common task we might set the 

 strength and wisdom of our common experience". 



It we do not do this ourselves, and that speedily, we 

 may confidently anticipate that it will be done for us. 

 Our Colleges and Departments of Agriculture are larg:e; 

 their demands are heavy and the increase in annual 

 expenditure is causing legislators and the people no 

 little concern. 



Agricultural education in one or other of its various 

 forms has reached a point where it is imperative that 

 mal-adjustments be remedied, that functions he rede- 

 fined, that a more perfect articulation be effected and 

 a unified and consistent policy be evolved. Surveys, 

 national in scope, must underlie these determinations, 

 because back of these lies the problem of public sup- 

 port. The assumption that an interested and favorably 

 disposed public will furnish the necessary- funds has 

 not always been borne out by tlie facts, as witness re- 



cent events in the East as well as in the West. The 

 wise expenditure of public fund.s has always been im- 

 portant but it is doubly so at the present time. 



Agricultural education, whatever its form is, in 

 essence, a unit — a single enterprise — and the policies 

 of the department cannot longer continue to be a 

 matter of indifference to any other. This is a con- 

 cept which will continue to grow and something must 

 he done, not only for the information of the public, 

 but for our own protection as well. 



I am in no purely destructive or critical mood, but I 

 submit, gentlemen, that if we do not study these and 

 other equally important questions, then we lack the 

 courage and resolution to attempt the things which 

 most need to be done ; and, if that is the case, the sooner 

 we realize the true situation and govern ourse]ves ac- 

 cordingly the better it will be for ourselves and for the 

 profession we claim to represent. 



Report of the Committee on Research 



A List of Research Problfmx and Jnvcxtuiationx of 

 Particular Importance to Canadian AgricuUurr. 



Prepared by Dr. J. M. Swaine, Chainnan of t.'ie 

 Research Committee of the C.S.T.A. 



The Committee on Research has attempted the cdui- 

 pilation of a list of problems requiring further i*c- 

 seaix'h or investigation under Canadian conditions. 

 It was the original intention to confine the list t' 

 problems in fundamental researclh ; but it was even- 

 tually decided to include experiments, tests and 

 surveys, and any important agricultural sub.iects. 



A letter was sent to many of the prominent agri- 

 cultural workere in Canada, requesting their assis- 

 tance in tjie preparation of two lists of agricultural 

 problems; one, of problems requiring further inves- 

 tigation under Canadian conditions, and the other, 

 of problems already in progress in Government or 

 University departments in this country. A large num- 

 ber of lists of problems was received, and from these 

 the present list has been largely compiled. In several 

 cases long lists were included almost exactl.y as re- 

 ceived. 



Since many contributors did net distinguish between 

 problems reconunended for attention and these already 

 in progress no distinction is made in this preliminary 

 report. 



It was hoped tlhat the publication of a long series 

 of problems of this kind would )iave some effect: in 

 stimulating agricultural investigation. It .seemed pos- 

 ftible that it woidd be of assistance to younger work- 

 en? and particularly to graduate stiulents in selecting 

 their problems, and that it would l>e an emphatic 

 reminder to the older investigators, to those in charge 

 of departments and to all who are able to influence 

 the prosecution of agi-icultural research, that agri- 

 culture in Canada is in vei-y great need of tihe addition 

 of many trained men, skilled in investigation and 

 experiment. It appears that with many problems we 

 are able to attain only a certain level of progress, 

 owing apparently cither to excess of work crowded 

 upon the investigator or to the investigator's lack 

 of proper research training. If this li.st emphasizes 

 our great need for additional research into the funda- 



niiMilal problems of Agriculture it will serve a useful 

 purpo.se. 



Several correspondents Oiave (piestioned the advisa- 

 bility of publis.iiing a list of problems now in progra-s 

 since this might residt in the loss of priority or credit 

 by the investigator who was responsible for the real 

 progress made in the s-tudy. It is probabl(> that thi>. 

 would happen only rarely and that a careful statement 

 of tihe problem would nearly always avoid any sucji 

 contingency. In this connection it may be said that 

 while it is only ju.st; that an investigator should re- 

 ceive all proper credit for his scientific work, the 

 advancement of t-icience is a much more importfliit 

 consideration. 



If a list of |)robieins in progress is desired it might 

 be better to leave this list in the hands of the general 

 secretary to be used in promoting co-operation between 

 investigators w.hen this Ls requested. 



The list, as submitted herewith, is far from com- 

 plete. Many contributions were received only recently 

 and the compilation was of necessity rather hastily 

 done. If the Convention decides to publish the list 

 in the Journal, other problems could be added before 

 publication and an improvement could be made in 

 the form of the list by more careful editing. It would 

 also be po.ssible to give further details of many 

 )iroblems now in progress if this were desired. 



The Committee wishes to express its obligations to 

 the scientific workers who have assisted by submitting 

 lists of problems. 



The names of those who have assisted the Commit- 

 tee are : 



U.S. Arkell, J. Adams, A.F. Barss, II. Barton, 

 G.R. Bisby, P. A. Boving, Geo. B. Boving, W.H. 

 Brittain, F.W. Brodrick, Geo. II. Clark. L. Caesar, 

 P.M. Clement, II. G. Crawford, II. II. Dean, B.T. 

 DickKon, M.B. Davis, F.C. Elford, A. Gibson, M.C. 

 Herner. F.C. Ilan-ison. V.W. Jackson, M.A. Jull, 

 L.S. Klinck, H.M. King, E.A. Lloyd, W.T. Ma- 



