Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-02-05
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SOUTHERN
AGRICULTURE
RESEARCH WORK
Misunderstood
True Scope Of Governments Aaricui
tural Experiment Stations ls Not
Thoroughly Realized.

True Scope OF Governments AarIcui
tural Experiment Stations Is Not
Thoroughly Realized.
(By c. =. Adams. Acting Director, Ar
kansas Experiment Station)
An Agricultural Experiment Station
Is primarily a research institution
secondarily, one for the dissemination
of knowledge relative thereto. 1t.
object is to study the underlying prin
cipies involved in the science of az
riculture and then to place the results
OF such study at the disposal of tbs
agricultural profession.
The experiment station in its func
ton as research institution. is otter
misunderstood. This is because the
term research" Ia an unknown guam
tity with q great many people. Two
often test 10 locked upon as being
5 piece 1 research. while In reality
1t In something far different. A tes
does not yisld absolute knowledge
but places the tester In . frame OF
mind to believe that something is
going TO happen just because 1t die
once before. 1t does not tell him thai
something is compelled to take place
II natures energies are properly
brought to bear on each other The
latter ts what research does. It givel
to man law and dispenses with the
services of tests, trials, etc, which
occupy time. Tests, however, have
their part to play and will be consid
cred In connection with my treatment
OF the dissemination Of useful knowl
edge.
The idea OF research carries with
it, necessarily. that OF unsolved prob
lens. and as the primary function OF
9 station is one Of research, it should
DO organized and sustained accord
ingly, Investigators of the highest
type are absolute essentials. as they
are really the foundation upon which
an experiment station rests. Fine
buildings and structures are beauti
full to behold, but they give up no Sc
crsts Good farms will always yielc
crops, even under u1toutorsd tillage
as nature IL unrelenting with her en-
srKiss, but just how and why they do
she remains silent. How nature util
ICES her energies 10 the problem foI
the Investigator so that man car
take better advantage Of her re
sources, To win saccesE his prepare
tioH must be Of the best. Nature 10
just rs obstinate in denying maA her
secrets ~ che is uRtirins In her Of
forts to feed his hungry body.
Demand for Investigators Is Growing
To answer this fundamental re
Quirsment of research the demand for
Investigators is becoming greater
every year Part Of the federal ap
preparation. the Adams fund, can bs
used only for the highest grade OF
research work, and IL the stations
efforts DO not measure up to that
standard the fund rsverts to tho Uni
ted States treasury. 1t behoovss col
leEss to lay special stress on the
training OF Investigators, otherwise
the fundamental requirement OF the
experiment stations will not be RG
swsred To this end l quote from a
recent report by the Commission on
Agricultural Research:
The development Of research effort
has net been symmetrical and log
ieal. Adequately trained men have
not been provided In sufficient nun
Der to sxpsEA In the way Of capable
iavestigati0n the entire amounts OF
RatsoRsl and state appropriations that
have bssG appksd to Agricultural re-
search. This In one Of the reasons
way the more dimcuit agricultural
problems have 90 largely remained
aateached
"As to tails matter, We may quote
ffem Q paFsoaal letter Of we'll
kAevn iavsstisstor: The demand for
asrisxieHrG research has been great
Or tA&R the supDay Of men capable
~ @rrytag On research or education
oil verb. The agricultural colleges
aaa tas agencies &C research have
AAsa created By law, but the law
mARst create men The agricultural
ssllsgss have developed a consider
able proportion Of undsrtrained men,
Without peiss or sustained judgment.
AAA uaasr these conditions the per
eeaai element enters into the work
G To state aad national Institutions
sad in the majority of cases most o.
ths difficulties arising in the field
may hs traced to the personal equa
Ssn Of Inadequate men"
10 10 Asrs hat the standards Of
eGxsAttsn have n direct and imme
date rs,atioa to the quality OF re
search Effort. In those colleges O.
agriculture In which high educational
standards are maintained, the various
hrms OF agricultural research are in
snassal, Of high character, CORE
spexAiAG to the more elevated char
astsx OF tAs academic administra-
tasa. A osnAsensnt Of educational
aeas rsasts vita certainty upon the
Ssr& Of sS,sntine inquiry. In these
mAttars sellsge authorities are some
TAare Must 30 NO Esesswork about
MealaS the calf The stomach Of
o. ysuax calf 10 easily ruined by