AN EFFORT TO HELP THE FARHER. 



In 1894, the legislature asked the Cornell Experiment Station 

 to endeavor to help the farmers by means of extension work. 

 The request was unsolicited on the part of the University. In 

 the same spirit, the requast has been renewed b}' subsequent 

 legislatures. The gist of the present law is to the effect that the 

 College of Agriculture shall aid the farmer b}^ means of experi- 

 ments with crops and farm-management, by investigations of 

 special difficulties, by lectures, publications, schools, teaching, 

 and b}^ an}^ other means which promise permanent and useful 

 results. The farmers were thought to be suffering : What 

 can be done for their relief ? 



The results of much of the work have appeared in 62 bulletins ; 

 and full special reports of progress have been made in Bulfetins 

 no, 122, 137 and 146. The present report gives a cursory view 

 of the entire movement ; but the details are largely those of the 

 work of 1898 alone. It must be remembered, however, that 

 while the field-work of 1898 is completed, the full results thereof 

 are still in course of elaboration and publication. 



Our first effort, in furtherance of the request of the legislature, 

 was to determine what needed to be done. There were many 

 opinions as to the best lines to pursue. We therefore went to 

 the farmers with meetings, schools, lectures, and personal 

 inspection of their places ; and thereby w^e found our bearings. 

 The land-grant colleges had been established for more than thirty 

 years, and the federal experiment stations for eleven years. 

 The results of the efforts of these institutions had been most 

 beneficent, and the general tone of farming had been elevated 

 immensely thereby. And yet, we found it to be a fact that the 

 majority of farmers had not been personalh^ touched by these 

 great enterprises. There seemed to be a lack of actual contact 

 between the farming- body and the teaching-body; and this is due to 

 the fact that much of the teaching and experimenting is neces. 

 saril}^ too advanced to appeal to the general farmer. It became 

 plain, therefore, that the purpose of the legislature could be 

 best subserved b}' teaching the individual farmer in elementary 



