28 



SCIENCE. 



LN. S. Vol. XX. No. 496. 



extremely important researches of Farmer and 

 his associates into the essential nature of 

 cancer ! 



Satisfactory as this undoubtedly is, we have 

 only to look across the channel to see how 

 puny — numerically and financially speaking — • 

 are our efforts to promote original research. 

 Our cousins across the Atlantic, a practical 

 people if ever there was one, are even more 

 energetic. Does a ' freeze ' destroy or seriously 

 injure the oranges of Florida, what matter? 

 In a very short time a man of science and a 

 man of resource is on the spot. He looks for 

 and finds a hardy stock whereon to graft the 

 tender scion, he puts the resources of hybridi- 

 zation to the test in the endeavor to procure 

 hardy seedlings. All this is done at once by 

 state or government agency. Here, if any- 

 thing were tried in a parallel case, it would be 

 with great deliberation and with little or no 

 encouragement or support. 



Those farailiar with what is done to promote 

 research in the universities and colleges of the 

 United States, as at New York, Chicago, 

 Philadelphia and in California, not to men- 

 tion the older foundations of Harvard and 

 Yale, must feel almost aghast at the progress 

 that is being made, and at our own backward- 

 ness. In the Gardeners' Chronicle for January 

 30 is an article contributed by a well-known 

 professor familiar with what is being done 

 here as well as there. In that article he gives 

 details as to the astonishing activity mani- 

 fested in the American universities, mainly 

 by the aid of funds provided by private indi- 

 viduals. We too have reason to know and ap- 

 preciate what is done by the government agri- 

 cultural department, and by the very numerous 

 experimental stations scattered all over the 

 wide territories of the United States. 



As we write, there comes to us a report of 

 the establishment, under the auspices of the 

 Carnegie Institution, of a ' desert botanical 

 laboratory, the purpose of such establishment 

 being to study thoroughly the relation of 

 plants to an arid climate and to substrata of 

 unusual composition.' A laboratory has ac- 

 cordingly been erected near Tucson, in 

 Arizona, under the management of Dr. W. A. 

 Cannon, of the New York Botanical Garden, 



who has been appointed resident investigator 

 in charge of the laboratory. What may be 

 described as a sort of preliminary report has 

 been drawn up by Mr. Coville and Dr. Mac- 

 Dougal, and a very interesting and copiously 

 illustrated report it is. 



As some of our readers may care to see this 

 publication, we may add that it is issued by 

 the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 

 U. S. A. (publication No. 6). 



Vast as is their territory, and numerous as 

 are their experimental stations and like insti- 

 tutions, our cousins are not yet satisfied. They 

 have invaded British territory, in a most 

 genial and friendly manner it is true, but still 

 they have annexed, with our consent, a portion 

 of the island of Jamaica, and there they have 

 established, at ' Cinchona,' a botanical labora- 

 tory and research station open to the students 

 of all countries. The direction is in the hands 

 of Dr. Britton, of the New York Botanical 

 Garden, in cooperation with Mr. Fawcett, the 

 director of public gardens and plantations in 

 the island. The policy of the ' open door ' 

 pursued by the Americans in these matters 

 prevents us from doing anything but acquiesce 

 in their proceedings. But why what should 

 have been a plain duty for us should have been 

 allowed to be undertaken by others is a 

 mystery. 



We do not question the utility of ironclads 

 and cruisers as protectors of our commerce, 

 but it is obvious to those who are watching the 

 proceedings of our neighbors and of our rivals 

 that if we do not largely extend our scientific 

 training and induce our wealthy citizens to 

 follow the example of their American brethren 

 in endowing science, the necessity for protec- 

 tion will vanish, and that not slowly. 



INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIEN- 

 TIFIC LITERATURE. 



The International Council met on Monday, 

 May 23, and Tuesday, May 24, 1904, at the 

 Rooms of the Royal Society of London, and 

 transacted business as follows : 



On the motion of Dr. Uhlworm, Professor 

 H. E. Armstrong was elected chairman of 

 the meeting and Dr. H. Forster Morley secre- 

 taiy. 



