304 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LII. No. 1344 



Many of tlie most important problems in 

 agriculture will in this way require the united 

 efforts of several kinds of researchers. This 

 must be true from the very nature of agricul- 

 tural problems involving as they do a highly 

 complex sort of conditions and a very wide 

 range of basic subjects. Without cooperation 

 we find the technical man necessarily spread- 

 ing his efforts over so many subjects that he 

 accomplishes little. This result is already too 

 common. Without cooperation we find the 

 pure scientist making foolish practical claims 

 or helpless before an unusual practical situa- 

 tion. ISTor will the best results be obtained 

 when the cooperation consists of the funda- 

 mental scientists acting as chore boys for the 

 technical men — performing their chemical 

 analysis, physiological experiments or bacterio- 

 logical identifications. 



Apart from the need of workers of several 

 kinds, many problems are so big that even 

 where only one kind of researcher is necessary, 

 several -of these must collaborate if results are 

 to be obtained in reasonable time. Again, in 

 Canada local and environmental conditions are 

 so highly varied that in the case of problems 

 of nation-wide importance work must be car- 

 ried on concurrently at many places. 



With the argument that cooperation is nec- 

 essary in order to avoid duplication of effort I 

 have no great sympathy. We need both collab- 

 oration and duplication or collaboration hy 

 duplication. We all know of too many cases 

 where claims have been made which have not 

 been justified by the scientific work, which 

 have injured scientific agriculture, and which 

 would never have been made by several men 

 working together. The cry of needless dupli- 

 cation of effort has been overdone; until agri- 

 culturists become infallible we can stand a 

 great deal more duplication. It should, how- 

 ever, be deliberate duplication knowingly 

 undertaken, not that of several men working 

 in ignorance of each other's efforts. 



That organized cooperation in research can 

 accomplish a great deal when support is avail- 

 able, has been abundantly proven by the war 

 experience of all nations. 

 I In this society we have the machinery at 



hand to bring about the needed cooperation. 

 This society will soon bring together all 

 Canadian technical agricxilturists and, I hope, 

 all researchers in rfundamental subjects whose 

 work is in any way related to agriculture. 

 Projects to be attacked can here be divided 

 into phases and each man assigned the phase 

 in which he is best qualified or most interested. 

 Varying local conditions can be met by pro- 

 viding for the concurrent prosecution of simi- 

 lar work in different places. The groups must 

 be democratically organized and cooperate 

 freely; they can not function if one man as- 

 signs tasks to others. There is no need of 

 entering into details at this time. They can 

 be worked out to suit the problem. 



Such a program will require frequent group 

 meetings for consultation, formulating and 

 modifying plans, reporting results, etc. These 

 meetings can best be held in connection with 

 the conventions of this society. On account of 

 the great distances involved, it will be neces- 

 sary that the institutions to which these men 

 are attached should pay their travelling ex- 

 penses. I believe that little difficulty will be 

 encountered in this respect. Certainly these 

 institutions could spend their money in no way 

 which would be likely to yield more valuable 

 results, not only in actual problems solved but 

 also in keeping their staffs elEcient. 



That a program of consultation and col- 

 laboration will receive wide support is shown 

 by the resolutions passed at the conference of 

 deputy ministers of agriculture recently held 

 at Ottawa. A resolution concerning experi- 

 mental farms passed at that conference reads, 

 in part, as follows: 



Be it resolved thait . . . definite measures be 

 adopted that will bring about greater cooperation 

 in planning, conducting and giving publicity to 

 the results of experimental farm work, to wit: 



(a) The formation of joint provincial advisory 

 committees to be composed of representatives from 

 the Dominian and provincial departments of agri- 

 culture. . . . 



(6) That such provincial committees shall meet 

 not less than once annually to consider the results 

 of experimental work ... for the preceding year 

 or years and to discuss and as far as may be pos- 



