December 11, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



867 



Hampshire, suggested that the agricultural 

 colleges aid in securing the consolidation of 

 scattered rural schools and their more liberal 

 financial support, undertake a propaganda for 

 rural high schools within the states and teach- 

 ers' training classes in these schools, and favor 

 a law requiring the teaching of agriculture in 

 elementary schools and the training of teach- 

 ers in the elements of agriculture. President 

 Vincent, of Minnesota, also advocated sum- 

 mer sessions at the colleges for training rural 

 teachers. 



President D. H. Hill, of North Carolina, in 

 a paper entitled " Some Changed Attitudes " 

 called attention to the increasing tendency to 

 magnify the educational value of utilitarian 

 subjects. Inasmuch as the mere training of 

 experts will not make leaders of men, he advo- 

 cated the retention of some subjects which 

 turn men's minds away from the purely ma- 

 terialistic point of view. 



The cost of instruction in agricultural col- 

 leges and the relation of salaries in the di- 

 vision of agriculture to those of other divisions 

 in the agricultural colleges and universities 

 was discussed by President C. A. Lory, of Col- 

 orado. This paper described and illustrated by 

 means of charts a system of cost keeping 

 based on the units of semester credit, student 

 semester credit and student recitation hour, 

 the last named being found the most satisfac- 

 tory. 



President H. J. Waters, of Kansas, was 

 elected chairman of this section for the en- 

 suing year and President W. M. Eiggs, of 

 South Carolina, secretary. 



In the experiment station section, under the 

 topic of " Meat Production as a Factor in the 

 Progress of Agriculture in the United States," 

 George M. Eommel, of the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, presented for Dr. A. D. Melvin 

 and himself a paper on " Meat Production in 

 the Argentine and Its Effect on the Industry 

 in the United States." Although nearly 140,- 

 000,000 pounds of beef were imported from 

 Argentina during the last year, they believed 

 that killings are about as great as breeding 

 conditions will warrant, and therefore need 

 cause no serious concern to American pro- 



ducers. On the other hand, it was thought that 

 Argentina offers a possible market for breed- 

 ing stock deserving of increased attention. 

 Dean P. B. Mumf ord discussed " Meat Pro- 

 duction on the High-priced Corn Lands," con- 

 eluding that the methods which are likely to 

 result in decreasing the cost of meat produc- 

 tion and thereby making it possible for the 

 farmers of the corn belt region to produce 

 meat animals on high priced land are to be 

 found in developing unimproved areas of 

 land for grazing purposes ; by utilizing the by- 

 products of the farm, particularly coarse 

 roughage such as stover, straw and cheap hay; 

 by the general adoption of the silo as a means 

 of preserving corn and other crops ; by feeding 

 more sheep and hogs because of their well- 

 known efficiency in the utilization of feed- 

 stuffs ; and lastly, by the selection of more effi- 

 cient meat animals. " The Possibilities and 

 Methods of Meat Production in the South " 

 were summarized by D. T. Gray, of North 

 Carolina, who pointed out the advantages of 

 this region in cheap lands and labor, mild cli- 

 mate and long growing season, and compara- 

 tive nearness to markets, and believed that 

 success was to be expected upon adapting the 

 industry closely to southern conditions as to 

 feeds, buildings, etc. 



Dr. E. W. Allen, of the Office of Experiment 

 Stations, explained the administration of ex- 

 periment station work by projects. The proj- 

 ect properly defined and limited has been 

 found a convenient unit in planning, financ- 

 ing and supervising station work. It provides 

 a record of the stations' activities, assists in 

 defining the scope of this work and tends 

 toward general economy and efficiency. The 

 discussion following brought out a general con- 

 currence as to the merits of the project system. 

 A paper entitled " How Can American Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Stations Gain Higher 

 Standing as Institutions for Scientific Re- 

 search," was read by Director S. B. Doten, of 

 Nevada. The selection of high-grade men and 

 the careful conserving of their time, and the 

 provision of a scientific atmosphere were 

 among the means suggested. 

 . The section officers elected for the ensuing 



