Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/425

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��FRIDAY, MAT IS, 1S8C.

COMMENT AND CRITICISM.

It may not be amiss to remind a corre- spondent in to-day's issue that tlio Arguments which he uses to ahow the jieciiliar fitness of Col. Coleman for the position uf commis- sioner of agriculture, would, with very slight changes, show him to be qnallfieil to net as director of iho geological surve}', or super- intendent of the ccDstis, or, in fact, fur any executive position. The work of the depart- ment of agriculture is largely scientiHc work : and, as we had occasion to point out in the remarks to which our correspondent takes esception, the proper and effective direction of such work requires something more than ordinary executive and business ability. " The ability to distinguish and recommeud what is beat, to discover and make use of the ability of specialists," implies a thoraugh knowledge of what has already been done, and of the distinguishing qnalilies of the ' best,' an ac- quaintance with specialists, and a capability of judging of the merit of their work, such as only a ' technical expert ' can jwsscss. A man who, witliout s[jecial scientific attainments, undertakes to direct the work of scientific spccialiflta, must inevitably stand mnch in the same position aa the typical fine lady who is the slave of her domestics. He may irrilate and hinder by ill-judged interference, or he may leave matters to lake theii' own course, as has usually been done ; but any broad, well- planned policy is practically out of the ques- tion.

A further important consideration is that there is a lai^e and increasing number of agricultural colleges and experiment-stations devoted more or less exclusively to scieutiSc

investigations for the benefit of ^riculture. The United-States department of agriculture No. IIB.— igs&.

��should be the natural centre and regulator of this work, giving it a general unity, and preventing unnecessary duplication of experi- ments. Moreover, it is proposed to add to these, in the several states, so-called ' national exj>eriment-stations,' in the conduct of which the commissioner of agriculture shall have al least an advisor)' jjower. It may be set down as certain, however, that the men who arc conducting this experimental work, many of them eminent in their profession, will pay small heed U> the adviee of any commissioner whom they cannot respect as at least their equal in scientific attainments. We do not wish to be regarded as unfriendly to Col. Coleman. Judged by the previous history and present standing of the department, the ap- pointment is an excellent one. What we desire to see is a new system, and only secon- darily, and as a result of that, a new man.

Db. Adolf Dbonke, director of the real- gymnasium at Trier, has lately' published an elaborate paper on the place of geogi-aphy as a science and in the school. While certain parts of it seem to us somewhat visionary, — such as the formation of an international academy of geography, the establishment of professorships of geography in all universities. and the adoption of an initial meridian in 20° west longitude, — the greater share contains suggestions that are at least valuable and prac- tical, even if not altogether novel. Certainly there is much need of improvement in gi graphic instruction, as we have already point- ed out. There is so general an agreement on this subject, that what we need now is not a much a discussion of what changes to make, as how to get the money for making them. Good maps and models, illustrations and specimens, as well as expensively taught and far-travelled teachers, are the first needs, but where do we find school committees ready to supply them ?

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