April 6, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



541 



stations usually make considerable use of 

 the improved facilities given to the colleges, 

 the means for making their work more effi- 

 cient have been materially improved during 

 the past year. 



As the work of both college and sta- 

 tion grows in extent and complexity, it be- 

 comes more apparent that in order to per- 

 form the most eiBcient service the station 

 should be organized strictly as a separate 

 department of the institution with which it 

 is connected, and that it should have an 

 organization so compact that its work may 

 pi'oceed in accordance with a schedule care- 

 fully planned and energeticallj' adminis- 

 tered. To secure this end experience shows 

 that it is quite desirable that the station 

 should have a competent executive officer, 

 who can devote his time very largely to 

 planning and directing its operations, man- 

 aging its general business, and representing 

 its interests before the public. It is encour- 

 aging to observe that in several States dur- 

 ing the past year these considerations have 

 led to the more complete separation of the 

 business of the station from the general bus- 

 iness of the college, and to the appointment 

 of a director of the station as a separate 

 officer. 



THE WORK OF STATION OFFICERS AT FARM- 

 ERS' INSTITUTES. 



One of the most striking evidences of the 

 great awakening of our farmers to the im- 

 portance of technical education relating to 

 their art is the rapid extension of farmers' 

 institutes in all parts of the country during 

 the past few years. Institutes are now held 

 with more or less regularity in 43 States 

 and Territories. It is estimated that dur- 

 ing the past year no less than 2000 insti- 

 tutes were held in the -United States, which 

 were attended by 500,000 farmers. As this 

 movement progresses there is an increasing 

 demand for the services of experts at these 

 institutes. The farmers best like to hear 



those men who have made a thorough study 

 of the subjects of which they treat, and 

 who can impart up-to-date information. 



In States where the farmers' institutes 

 have been held for a number of years the 

 farmers who attend them are becoming 

 quite familiar with the general principles of 

 agricultural science and the results of the 

 work of the stations as set forth in their 

 publications. It therefore becomes neces- 

 sary for the speakers at these institutes to 

 devote more time to the preparation of 

 their lectures in order to successfully meet 

 the needs of progressive farmers and give 

 them new information. This fact, as well 

 as the increasing number of institutes, 

 makes it impracticable for station officers 

 to engage very largely in institute work 

 without detracting from their efficiency as 

 investigators. Moreover, to make the thor- 

 ough investigations which intelligent farm- 

 ers now insist upon station officers, must 

 devote themselves very closely to this work. 

 It is, therefore, quite clear that we need in 

 this country to devote a corps of institute 

 workers, who can glean from the work of 

 the stations and other sources the fresh 

 information which our farmers demand and 

 can take the time to attend a considerable 

 number of institutes each year. These 

 men must be well trained in the science and 

 practice of agriculture and at the same 

 time must have peculiar gifts as lecturers 

 before popular assemblies. This would not 

 necessaril}' mean that the station officers 

 should withdraw wholly from the institutes. 

 Without doubt, it is desirable that they 

 should from time to time meet the farm- 

 ers in this way, but this work should 

 be kept within such limits that it will be 

 merely incidental to their legitimate busi- 

 ness as investigators. 



THE STATION PUBLICATIONS. 



There is still great variety in the char- 

 acter of the publications issued by the sta- 



