NOVEMEEB 30, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



677 



tion, in relation both to other sciences and to 

 agricultural practise, to permit itself such laxities. 



I quote these words from an article^ by 

 Professor von E-iimker, of the University 

 of Breslan in Germany. 



Moreover, the agricultural experiment 

 station in the United States has developed 

 to a degree almost unknown in the land of 

 its birth. 



Twenty-five years ago the conception of 

 an experiment station was that of a com- 

 paratively small institution exercising a 

 police control over the manufacture and 

 sale of certain agricultural products, no- 

 tably fertilizers, and carrying on scientific 

 research largely by laboratory methods. 

 To a considerable degree this conception 

 still obtains in foreign countries, but in the 

 United States the stations have had an un- 

 exampled development. They are rapidly 

 growing into great departments, touching 

 the practise of agriculture in their several 

 localities at all points, and the leaders in a 

 vast propaganda for the elevation of rural 

 life. We feel a just pride in this peculiarly 

 American development of an adopted insti- 

 tution, and in the large measure of success 

 which has attended it, but it would be fool- 

 ish to shut our eyes to the accompanying 

 dangers, and not the least of these is the 

 drying up of the sources of power and 

 inspiration by the failure to duly promote 

 science along with practise. Not only does 

 the pressure for results tend to the sub- 

 ordination of the scientific to the practical, 

 but the management of these great institu- 

 tions is making heavier and heavier de- 

 mands on the time and energy of some of 

 our best men. In fact, we seem to be de- 

 veloping a new type of leader in agricul- 

 ture, comparable with the university presi- 

 dent, who is primarily an administrator 

 and whose chief function is to set other 

 people at work. All honor to the success- 



^ ' Landwirtschaft und Wissenschaft,' Berlin, 

 Parey, 1905. 



ful administrator. Through his adminis- 

 trative work he is often a most efficient 

 promoter of science. But let us not forget 

 also to see to it that our system provides 

 due honor and reward for the successful 

 scientist and investigator. AVhile the 

 American type of experiment station is 

 an admirable institution, and while the 

 popular work of the stations and colleges 

 is of vast importance and benefit, we must 

 not forget that it all rests on the truths of 

 science, and that unless science makes prog- 

 ress the popular work will soon be marking 

 time. 



The year 1906 has witnessed a notable 

 forward step in the development of agri- 

 cultural investigation. The passage of the 

 Adams act has doubled the United States 

 appropriation to experiment stations, nom- 

 inally in five and practically in four years. 

 This fund differs from the Hatch fund in 

 that the act specifies that it is to be used 

 only for 'conducting original research or 

 experiments.' It is not too much to say 

 that the great opportunity offered by the 

 passage of the Adams act, which has been 

 the occasion for so much congratulation, 

 will, like every other opportunity, prove 

 also to be a day of judg-ment for the sta- 

 tions, in that it will reveal to all men their 

 conception of original research, and dem- 

 onstrate whether or not they have a broad 

 fundamental grasp of the idea of investi- 

 gation. Differences of opinion regarding 

 the application of this fund are already 

 apparent. The stations stand at the part- 

 ing of the ways. Will they simply add 

 demonstration to demonstration, propa- 

 ganda to propaganda, or will they grasp 

 the opportunity to dedicate this new fund 

 sacredly and irrevocably to original scien- 

 tific research, broadly conceived and liber- 

 ally executed. 



I shall, no doubt, be characterized as an 

 idealist, as failing to recognize or appre- 



