1 907-] 



Agricultural Research. 



39 1 



governments, local communities, and private corporations 

 and persons. 



A different system of management is maintained in France, 

 where the direction and control of agricultural experiment 

 stations naturally devolve on the general government as 

 represented by its Ministry of Agriculture. Local depart- 

 ments, agricultural societies, educational institutions, have, 

 however, a share in their management and financial support. 



Experience shows that the agricultural experiment station 

 is most effective when it is organised primarily as a research 

 institution. And since research flourishes best in connection 

 with institutions for higher education, the stations should 

 be organised as departments of universities or agricultural 

 colleges. This will ensure that their work will be carried 

 on conformably to the spirit and methods of science, and that 

 their results will be directly imparted to the future leaders 

 of intellectual and social progress represented in the youth 

 passing through the universities and colleges. The work of 

 the. stations will thus have the most permanent and funda- 

 mental influence on agricultural progress. 



Since the problems of agricultural regions generally are 

 manifold and complex, the experiment station should have 

 a staff including representatives of the different branches of 

 the science of agriculture and allied sciences. The number 

 and variety of interests represented in the staff will naturally 

 vary with the income of the station and the character of the 

 agriculture in the region in which it is located. 



The staff and subordinates should be organised under the 

 general control of a director with power to decide on plans 

 of work and to enforce their execution. The director should 

 be a man of thorough and broad scientific training and keen 

 appreciation of the practical needs of agriculture. He should 

 be able to manage men and affairs and to sympathize with 

 both scientists and practical men. In small stations he may 

 be able to pursue investigations in some special line for which 

 he is fitted, but in the larger stations it will be desirable for 

 him to give his time chiefly to administrative duties. 



The station staff should be organised into a council for the 

 discussion of plans of work and other matters relating to the 

 business of the station, but the functions of the council should 



