8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to her need, and from that time forward she has been steadil}' im- 

 proving in all the sciences which we appl}^ in our industries, through 

 the medium of the excellent colleges and schools distributed over 

 the land. In ship building, in the iron, chemical and textile fabrics, 

 her products of to-day are as far removed from those of 1851, as it 

 is possible for them to be. This widespread disturbance in Euro- 

 pean industries had its counterpart in the United States, although it 

 remained to the great centennial of 1876 to accomplish the great 

 awakening of the people all over this land to the need of science 

 applied to industry-. In our day, we are not content to buy goods 

 which are merely useful and substantial in character — we require 

 that they shall possess beauty, appeal to our ideas of form and color, 

 and harmonize with their associations. 



It must be quite clear to us all that these great changes could not 

 have taken place without disturbing very seriously the farm indus- 

 tries of the world. It has always been admitted, in a general and 

 somewhat vague way, that knowledge was of importance to the 

 farmer ; but only within the last thirty years has this claim com- 

 pelled the recognition of statesmen. The growing population of 

 Denmark and Sweden, and their peculiar adaptation for the pro- 

 duction of butter for the export market, obliged the rulers of those 

 countries to improve their educational s^'stems, that farm lands 

 might be made more productive, that cows be made to double their 

 capacity, and the butter makers improve their skill in the light of 

 applied science which has since been shed abroad in the technical 

 schools and farm institutes scattered broadcast over the country. 

 Denmark and Sweden are now known for the uniformit}' and per- 

 manence of character imprinted on their butter exports, rather than 

 for the magnitude of trade, great as that is. To enable them to 

 stud}' with even greater accuracy the special wants of the markets of 

 England, the governments of Denmark and Sweden have appointed 

 resident agents in the great cities of London and Manchester. 

 These agents furnish weekly reports on the butter supply received 

 at the great centres, indicating whatever defects of flavor, body, 

 salt and package the goods possess. In this waj- it has been pos- 

 sible to cultivate very close relations with the customer. The 

 general aim of the education of these countries has been to elevate 

 farm labor, to quicken the intelligence of the man who cultivates 

 the soil, feeds the cows, and supplies the raw material of the dair}"- 

 manufacturies. The success of this system of instruction has enabled 

 the butter industry of the country to control the feeding of the cows 



