Ill, — ^THE RISE OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE 



cipline were grouped around particular problems of importance to Amer- 

 ican farmers. You may feel that this evolution was one which was away 

 from basic science in the direction of narrow practicality. But consider 

 also that the reorganization may possibly have led not only to the prac- 

 tical results with their consequent political support, but also to an in- 

 creased specialization which meant higher scientific standards in the 

 Department. Note that the following account, touching on the shift to 

 the problem approach, was written in 1895, fairly early in this reorgani- 

 zation. This politician-spokesman for science in the Department had to 

 be particularly careful to defend the Department against the charge of 

 extravagance in the early 1890's, and he represents one commentary on 

 the events of that stormy decade in the general history of the American 

 farmer. (Charles W. Dabney, "The Scientific Work of the Department 

 of Agriculture," Bidletm No. 24 [Washington: Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Office of Experiment Stations, 1895], pp. 63-67.) Do you see any- 

 thing emerging here which is comparable to the industrial research 

 laboratories?] 



One of the Western newspapers made a remarkable announcement 

 last March, to the effect that the Department of Agriculture had just 

 "elected a professor of astrology." We have long known that the moon 

 was supposed to have a great influence on some departments of agri- 

 culture, but we had never heard it suggested before that the stars had 

 anything to do with crops. It did not take us long, however, to find out 

 that the usually infallible editor referred to our new officer, the "agros- 

 tologist" — a title that the country newspapers have been struggling with 

 ever since. 



The Department of Agriculture has always recognized the im- 

 portance of the investigation of our forage resources, and through its 

 Division of Botany it has made many valuable contributions to our 

 knowledge of them. In view of the growing importance of grasses and 

 forage plants at the present time, when the methods and objects of 

 farming in many sections of our country are undergoing a radical 

 change, the honorable Secretary of Agriculture recently decided that 

 this subject required more attention than the Department was able to 

 give it with the present force of the Division of Botany. He therefore 

 employed a special agent to prosecute investigations upon grasses and 

 forage plants. 



No country in the world possesses such vast forage resources as 

 ours, and in none are the plants which compose that forage more vari- 

 ous. Our botanist informs us that there are over 3,500 different kinds of 

 grasses in the world, of which over 700 are known to grow within our 

 territory. There are, besides, many useful forage plants — not grasses — 

 such as the clovers and alfalfa. The annual hay crop of the country has 

 an estimated value of $600,000,000 and more than 14,000,000 head of 

 cattle are supported upon our grazing lands. The maintenance and im- 

 provement of these resources is a matter of importance to every citizen 

 of the United States, and of direct and vital interest to every American 

 family. Upon it depend the vast meat and dairy interests, and to a great 



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