6 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1279 



cialization that individuals have reached. It 

 has been characteristic of the larger institu- 

 tions rather generally in this country during 

 the past that vs^henever any department or line 

 of work was suggested by one institution, every 

 other one has desired at once to introduce a 

 similar department. Now, funds are and in 

 future will be even more lacking for duplica- 

 tion of new departments and our universities 

 must face the problem of teaching subjects for 

 which they are naturally adapted by their lo- 

 cation and the funds at their command. It 

 is very likely also that new topics which are 

 taken up by any institution will have in many 

 cases a genetic relation to the history and 

 previous program of the institution as well 

 as to its geographic location and natural ad- 

 vantages. Other limiting and directing in- 

 fluences will readily suggest themselves with- 

 out further discussion of this point. But how- 

 ever the matter is determined, there is sure 

 to be in futiu-e university development a clear 

 recognition of the fact that it is neither pos- 

 sible nor desirable for each institution to 

 cover all fields of developing knowledge. And 

 this principle applies clearly to the special 

 question under consideration. 



Courses in aquiculture must be established 

 to train technical workers and those institu- 

 tions should embark upon the work which are 

 advantageously located to undertake it, all 

 factors being considered. It is also important 

 to note that such work may follow either one 

 of two distinct lines. There will be courses 

 of a general character to train the routine 

 worker, and those of advanced character to 

 train the research worker. There is evident 

 need in both directions in order to prepare 

 men for general purposes and also to carry on 

 research and direct the work of the former 

 group. The general training will naturally 

 be given in special undergraduate courses, 

 whereas the special work must be provided in 

 courses for graduate students. 



I should like to emphasize here the necessity 

 of having the specific cooperation of the Bu- 

 reau of Fisheries in order to make this work 

 successful in either phase. A certain amount 

 of technical practise is inseparable from 



proper training in this field. It already ex- 

 ists under the control of the bureau, and the 

 proper type of organization will bring these 

 two things together so that the student getting 

 training along theoretical and laboratory lines 

 will be able to seciure practical work under the 

 Bureau of Fisheries. This practical train- 

 ing might well be given during the summer 

 months. There are opportunities for this 

 practise in connection with the operation of 

 egg taking and other work of the fish hatchery 

 and with the problems of fish foods to be 

 worked out in the new laboratory of the bu- 

 reau. There are opportunities of this sort at 

 many points already controlled by the bureau, 

 which might be very appropriately utilized for 

 training men registered in these special 

 courses. The bureau already provides in part 

 for taking in college students, associating 

 them with this work and giving them manual 

 training in those processes essential for work 

 in practical fisheries problems. 



May I point out one feature known to the 

 bureau which has proved thus far difficult to 

 handle well and which is conspicuous to the 

 outsider as a weakness in the present organi- 

 zation. The helpers drawn into this summer 

 work are often only casually interested in the 

 problem or concerned merely in getting a 

 pleasant summer vacation. They are not men 

 who are so directly interested in fish culture 

 problems as to desire to make this summer 

 training a part of their general education for 

 service in fisheries work. If these summer 

 positions could be filled first of all by men 

 who are seeking to secure thorough training 

 for work as fishery experts and hence directly 

 interested in the problems of the fisheries, the 

 students would be advantaged in their work 

 and the training given would not be incidental 

 but would form part of a general program 

 that would ultimately serve to advance the 

 work of the bureau and fisheries interests in 

 general. 



Organization of Science. — I touch upon this 

 theme with some hesitation. The National 

 Research Council has given intensive study to 

 the problem, and the opinions of an outsider 

 are likely to be premature or to appear of 

 little value in comparison with Dr. Merriam's, 



