390 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 613. 



is rather of economic importance than of 

 pure science, since it has to do with the 

 transfer of the plant-food elements from 

 one place to another, and their loss, in so 

 far as our own country is concerned. It 

 is a problem which has been but lightly 

 touched upon, though many have recog- 

 nized its significance. We are exporting 

 in whole grains, and in waste materials 

 from our oil and starch factories, enor- 

 mous quantities of human and animal 

 foods, for which we receive a return only 

 in proportion to nutritive values, whereas 

 these products carry enormous quantities 

 of constituents from our country. The 

 problem here, as already stated, is not a 

 problem so much of investigation as it is 

 an exploitation of the facts, and the educa- 

 tion of the people as to the possible ulti- 

 mate efifect. The agricultural chemist 

 must stand as the conservator of the na- 

 tion's wealth; he is the one whom others 

 seek for definite information, and for guid- 

 ance, and it is his business to so direct the 

 attention of the people as to prevent an 

 undue loss of our fertility elements. 



There is no doubt but that by careful 

 adjustlhents of trade conditions it will be 

 possible to obtain quite as much money for 

 our surplus products as is obtained at the 

 present time, without having the practise 

 result in so great an annual loss of our 

 plant-food constituents. The problem is 

 not an easy one to solve, though I am sure 

 that with the earnest study and support 

 of our agricultural chemists, it will be 

 solved in a manner that will result in the 

 best good to all. It is an important ques- 

 tion, and one which I hope our chemists 

 will regard as worthy of their study. 



I am well aware that in this brief paper, 

 which was purposely made general in its 

 character, I have done little more than 

 to point out some of the reasons why 

 the conditions have not been favorable 



thus far for such work as seems now to be 

 needed, and to suggest lines of investiga- 

 tion, without being specific as to the 

 methods by which they should be carried 

 out. Nevertheless, the few facts stated 

 are patent to all who have given the sub- 

 .ject thought, and are sufficient to indicate 

 the importance of a broad and detailed 

 study of the whole question of soil fertility. 

 The field is now largely unoccupied, and 

 there is a growing demand for broadly 

 trained investigators, and there is no field 

 of investigation more promising of fruit- 

 ful results for the investigator and the 

 country at large. Our professors of chem- 

 istry and our colleges and universities 

 should cooperate in providing such oppor- 

 tunities for study as shall fit them to 

 pursue this attractive and important line 

 of investigation, 



E, B. VOORHEBS. 

 New Jersey Agricultural 

 Experiment Station. 



THE TEACHINa OF SCIENCE IN COLLEGE} 

 I v^iSH to call attention to a situation 

 which seems to me unnatural and unfor- 

 tunate. It is unnecessary to present it in 

 statistical form. No one will question that 

 science in the colleges of this and other 

 universities has not the importance and 

 popularity that it should have, that this 

 element of our modern education is by no 

 means represented in the results of educa- 

 tion in accordance with its importance. 



It is not, however, to the failure to elect 

 scientific courses as they are to-day or to 

 enroll themselves for science degrees on the 

 part of our students that I think especial 

 attention should be directed. Nor do I 

 think that we can explain this and other 

 evidences of the deficiencies in this regard 

 by the traditional prestige of the so-called 

 humanities, or the prejudicing of the stu- 

 ' Address delivered before the Chicago Chapter 

 Sigma Chi, March, 190G. 



