SCIENCE 
Fray, JANUARY 19, 1912 
CONTENTS 
The Status and Future of the American 
Agronomist: Dr. H. J. WHEELER ........ 81 
The Introduction of Physical Chemical Con- 
ceptions in the Early Stages of Teaching 
Chemistry: PROFESSOR Harry C. JONES .. 87 
Is Science really Unpopular in High Schools? 
PROFESSOR WILLARD J. FISHER .......... 94 
The Smithsonian Biological Survey of the 
Panama Canal Zone ...........-..202-0% 98 
Scientific Notes and News ..............-+ 99 
University and Educational News .......... 102 
Discussion and Correspondence :— 
The Administration of the Weeks Act: Dr. 
GEo. Otis SmirH. Suggestions for the 
Cleveland Meeting: Dr. J. FRANKLIN Crow- 
ELL. Chromosomes in Wheat and Rye: 
Dr. W. J. SPILLMAN. How a Falling Cat 
turns over: J. R. BENTON ............... 103 
Scientific Books :— 
Sheldon’s The Wilderness of the Upper Yu- 
kon: Dr. J. A. ALLEN. Whitehead’s Prin- 
cipia Mathematica: PRoFessor Cassius J. 
IESE VISER HM aptcvssiciar tscter star crohns hale Saleh oieversie srsiels 105 
HDDBVAENT AM soy felch eveyer alee systicrotelc fet ananelc feveravetorare ciel srs 110 
Special Articles :— 
The Apparent Antagonism between Elec- 
trolytes and Non-conductors: PROFESSOR 
Jacques Lors. The Permeability of Proto- 
plasm to Ions and the Theory of Antagon- 
ism: PRoFESSoR W. J. V. OSTERHOUT. 
Notes on the Distribution of the South- 
eastern Salamanders: ROLAND M. HarprR 111 
The American Mathematical Society: Pro- 
IWASSOS 1, IN, COwi 4 o65nec0ccscuduco0cne 119 
The American Philosophical Association: 
PROFESSOR HE. G. SPAULDING ............. 120 
The American Association of Economic Ento- 
MOLOGISES: . <iVrclep MT Oe eae 120 
MSS. intended for publication and books, etc., intended tor 
review should be sent to the Editor of Scimncr, Garrison-on- 
Hudson, N, Y, 
THE STATUS AND FUTURE OF THE 
AMERICAN AGRONOMIST? 
On the occasion of this fourth annual 
meeting of the American Society of Agron- 
omy it is of interest to note that our mem- 
bership has now grown to more than two 
hundred and that our published proceed- 
ings are finding their place not only in the 
private libraries of American agronomists, 
but also on the shelves of the libraries of 
the leading colleges and universities of the 
country. Indeed the time seems to have 
arrived when this society should seriously 
consider supporting a journal. We have 
definitely put our hands to the plow. It 
behooves us, therefore, to be diligent, to 
push this society into the front rank of the 
scientific societies of the land, and to guard 
jealously against any and all influences 
which may interfere with the highest de- 
velopment of its individual members and 
thereby restrict its opportunity for public 
usefulness. 
It must be recognized that no scientific 
body can be brought to its highest plane 
nor be made of the greatest service to our 
American people unless the ideals of its 
individual members are high. The future 
of agronomy in this country is, however, 
not only dependent upon such ideals, but 
also, in a very great degree, upon the ad- 
ministrative attitude of the institutions 
which we serve. 
To the professor who, a generation ago, 
was covering in his way the whole range of 
agricultural science, the field of the pres- 
ent-day agronomist may seem narrow; but 
those who have kept pace with the march 
1 Presidential address before the American So- 
ciety of Agronomy, November 13, 1911. 
