New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-18

THIS YEARS SCIENCE IN An EXTRA.
The recent meeting at Portland OF those
who follow the pursuits of science was OF I'M
usual Importance and interest. Merely In re-
spect to the technical value of the papers read,
none of the twenty-five meetings held by the
Association during the quarter century of it's
existence can be compared with this, except
perhaps that held at Salem in 1869; certainly
none has surpassed it. Before the meeting,
the promises of many of the more eminent
and older members to take part in its pro
ceedings insured an exceptional success, which
was further indicated on the opening day by
an unusually large attendance. But the dis
tinguishing feature of the meeting was the
celebrity with which it started with its work
and the steadness with which it adhered to
it; and the result is that contributions OF the
highest order in every department of science
that falls under the purview of the AssOcia-
ton, are spread broadcast for the benefit of
the entire race.
Step by step and year by year the great
fact is gradually dawning upon the minds OF
scientific men that the widest and promptest
publicity that can be given to their under
takings and their discoveries is the surest
means of promoting their success and that
publication by printing in the proceedings OF
some learned society is only in technical
sense publicity. An instance in point, which
was almost pathetic in its absurdity occurred
at the Portland meeting. A member who had
come from Halifax, N. s., read paper OF
unquestionable merit, bearing the marks OF
profound study and not wanting in popular
interest. But it fell under the rule of the
Association excluding papers previously pub
lished-a rule probably unknown to the author
of the communication. Ii seems he had
allowed the local scientific society of his
native city to print the paper. We need not
say that for nine hundred and ninety-nine out
of every thousand readers of The TRIBUNE,
he might as well have buried his paper in
the heart of an Egyptian pyramid. Excellent
as is the work done by learned societies, and
even with the enlargement of their field OF
usefulness through the exchanges between
them effected by the Smithsonian Institution,
their publications never reach the fresldes of
the million.
We need not waste words to demonstrate
the benefits that accrue to the cause OF
science from real publicity. The munifcent
gifts of our tOwnsman, Mr.. Anderson, direct
consequences of the description in news
paper of the enterprises of Agassiz, are
recent and sufficient testimony. And now, at
the commencement of the usual lecture season,
we shall begin our new series of efforts to
spread the results of scientific research before
our readers, by publishing an eight-page extra
with the proceedings of the Portland meeting
of the American Association for the Advance
ment of Science. Although our daily reports
of these were more extensive than those OF
any other newspaper, we have added very
materially to them in the extra, so that 1t
contains the pith of almost every communica-
ton read and accepted as part of the pro-
ceedings. We thus lay at once before our
readers the essential results of that which in
the regular course of publication by the
Association will not, probably, be completed
before the middle of next year.
An important feature in this extra is that
the discussions which took place on the read
ing of communications are very fully given
these do not usually appear at all in the pub
licatiOns of the Association. The discussions
are frequently of greater value than the COM
munication. as would naturally be the case
where experts in different branches of science
are assembled, and as was prominently the
case at Portland. The great debate on OAR
winism is marked instance. Unusually care
full scrutiny on the part of the Standing
Committee excluded for the most part such
worthless communications as disgraced the
Dubuque meeting, aud the debates were con-
Quoted by accomplished speakers on subjects
worthy of discussion. There is no class in the
70 Of
considered are not of direct, practi-
cal value. Where so much was excel
lent and embodied so evidently the re-
suits of research and study, it may seem IN
vidous to particularize but the importance
of such papers as those of Prof. f. b. Hough
on the Duty Of Governments in the Preserva-
ton of Forests, of DR.. j. L. LIE Conte on
Economic Entomology and the Destruction of
Noxious Insects; and the remarks of Prof
PIERCE of the Coast Survey called out by a
paper on the causes of disaster to shipping, is
of a national character. The extra also con-
tains series of letters concerning Deep Sea
Dredging, telling of the work of the U. s.
Fish Commission and describing some of the
strange creatures inhabiting the waters of our
coast and is, as usual with this class of
TRIBUNE issues handsomely illustrated. LII
will be ready in a few days, and orders will
be filed according to the date of their receipt
Price ten cents per copy-free by mail.
limited number of advertisements will be re-
ceived at the invariable price of two dollars
per line.
Mr. Samuel J. Tilden is the most astute Democratic
politician in this State. We should do him less than
Justice if we failed to add that in times of great
emergency he has proved the most manly and dis
l. L.. 10 nAIn