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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVII. No. 948 



remedy for this paradox does not lie alone 

 in increased expenditures; to an equal ex- 

 tent, at least, it lies in increased efficiency 

 under slowly increasing, or even stationary 

 or decreasing, expenditures. It is a special 

 duty of the man of science to show how 

 more and better work can be done at less 

 cost than has been practicable to his prede- 

 cessors. 



Although these departments of investi- 

 gation, like the institution as a whole, have 

 fallen short of popular expectations in the 

 rapidity of their growth, it now appears 

 plain, in the light of their actual experi- 

 ence, that this growth has been somewhat 

 too rapid for safety. Along with this 

 rapid growth and with the signal success 

 of these departments in their several fields 

 of research, there are now coming also 

 numerous requests for cooperation with 

 other organizations and with individuals. 

 But while these requests are in general 

 gratifying and often praiseworthy, they 

 present some obvious hazards. There is 

 need, therefore, of constant caution against 

 the dangers of undue expansion and affilia- 

 tion which lead to dissipation of effort and 

 resources. It should be kept in mind that 

 concentration on definitely limited pro- 

 grams, continuity of effort and energetic 

 assiduity are the factors most essential to 

 progress in the domain of research. 



The plan referred to a year ago, of in- 

 viting one or two eminent specialists to 

 become associated with each of the depart- 

 ments for limited periods of time, has thus 

 far worked quite advantageously and 

 promises to become increasingly fruitful. 

 Eight such specialists have been connected 

 with the departments during the past year 

 by direct appointment of the executive 

 committee, with varying compensations, as 

 shown in the financial section of this re- 

 port. Some other research associates have 

 served without compensation and several 



collaborators have also partaken in depart- 

 mental investigations or availed themselves 

 of departmental facilities without direct 

 expense to the institution. 



As usual, in the president's report, ref- 

 erence must be made to the departmental 

 reports, to be published in full in the cur- 

 rent year book, for comprehensive accounts 

 of departmental investigations, publica- 

 tions and plans for future activities, as 

 well as for accounts of the work of depart- 

 mental associates and collaborators. Only 

 the briefest summaries, indicating some of 

 the salient features of these accounts, are 

 attempted in the following paragraphs. 



Department of Botanical Research 

 The geographical range of the work of 

 this department, which centers in the Des- 

 ert Laboratory at Tucson, Arizona, has 

 been extended during the past year to in- 

 clude certain portions of the deserts of 

 northern Africa. Thus Dr. Cannon spent 

 the late autumn and early winter of 1911- 

 12 in the deserts of Algeria, while Director 

 MacDougal and his engineer, Mr. Sykes, 

 spent a good share of the winter of 1911- 

 12 in the Lybian deserts. These expedi- 

 tions enabled the department to acquire 

 extensive information for comparative 

 studies of desert areas, and Dr. Cannon's 

 report on the results of the earlier expedi- 

 tion has been already received for publi- 

 cation. 



Studies have been continued also at the 

 Desert Laboratory, at the Carmel Labora- 

 tory on the California coast, at Salton Sea, 

 and at various substations where observa- 

 tions are made on the phenomena presented 

 by plants under strikingly varying condi- 

 tions. The desiccation of the Salton Sea 

 now under observation presents many in- 

 structive conditions which are being care- 

 fully studied in their climatic, biological 

 and physical aspects. It will be practi- 



