November 30, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



821 



able that both the Department and the sta- 

 tions should feel entirely free to propose joint 

 experimentation or to decline a proposal for 

 such work. 



" It is very clear to the Committee that 

 the autonomy of the stations should be pre- 

 served, and that the stations should in no 

 sense become extensions of the divisions of 

 the Department for purposes of experimen- 

 tal work. Not only is the autonomy of the 

 stations necessary to the fulfillment of their 

 function, but autonomy in scientific investi- 

 gation is equally essential. Your Commit- 

 tee would therefore deem it desirable, where 

 cooperative work would seem advisable, 

 that the agreement take the shape of a for- 

 mal contract between the station, as such, 

 and the Department, as such, through the 

 properly authorized channels of each. That 

 is, that the high contracting parties be the 

 station on the one hand and the Department 

 on the other. Arrangements between indi- 

 vidual officers in the two institutions are 

 deemed inadvisable except under such con- 

 tract. 



" The cost of cooperation should be borne 

 jointly by the station and by the Depart- 

 ment, and the amounts to be expended 

 should, as far as practicable, be definitely 

 agreed upon and specified. 



" While it is understood that an absolute 

 guarantee of continuance cannot be given, 

 yet there should be reasonable mutual as- 

 surance of a fixed policy, until the comple- 

 tion of the work undertaken. 



" The results of the investigation should 

 be available to both institutions, priority of 

 publication being a matter of mutual agree- 

 ment at the outset. In all cases publica- 

 tions should set forth that such work is the 

 result of joint experimentation. 



" Your Committee deems it very desir- 

 able that independent work be not under- 

 taken in the several States by the Depart- 

 ment without the knowledge of the station 

 or consultation with the station, particu- 



larly along lines of investigation in which 

 the State station is engaged. 



" Whenever cooperation with practical 

 men in the States is desired by the depart- 

 ment in investigations, it is suggested that 

 the State station be the agency through 

 which such cooperation is conducted. For 

 example, if the department wishes to dis- 

 tribute seeds or plants for cooperative work 

 the knowledge both of men and physical 

 conditions on the part of the station should 

 be made available. 



"Your Comlnittee makes the above sug- 

 gestions realizing that they are in no wise 

 complete and that the subject is one requir- 

 ing further inquiry and consideration." 



The Association also passed a resolution 

 pledging its support to the Secretary of Ag- 

 riculture in his efforts to adjust the com- 

 pensation of persons employed in the higher 

 technical and scientific positions in the De- 

 partment of Agriculture in such manner as 

 to secure and retain the services of thor- 

 oughly competent officers. 



The following officers of the Association 

 for the ensuing year were elected: 



President, A. W. Harris, of the Univer- 

 sity of Maine ; Vice-Presidents, J. K. Pat- 

 terson, of the Agricultural and Mechanical 

 College of Kentucky ; W. H. Jordan, of the 

 New York State Experiment Station ; E. H. 

 Jesse, of the University of Missouri ; L. G. 

 Carpenter, of the State Agricultural College 

 of Colorado ; and E. A. Br^'an, of the Wash- 

 ington Agricultural College and School of 

 Science ; Secretary-Treasurer, E. B. Voor- 

 hees, of the New Jersey Experiment Sta- 

 tions ; Bibliographer, A. C. True, of the 

 Department of Agriculture ; Executive Com- 

 mittee, H. H. Goodell,of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College; Alexis Cope, of the 

 University of Ohio ; C W. Atherton, of the 

 Pennsylvania State College, and H. C. 

 White, of the Georgia State College of Agri- 

 culture and Mechanic Arts. 



Officers of Sections: Agriculture and 



