362 BOARD OF AGiliCULTUEE. 



lu their earlier history most of them offered little instruction in horti- 

 culture or none at all. In others the horticultural interests were given 

 into the charge of a professor having some other science as his specialty, 

 usually either that of botany or of entomology. In fact, prior to the pass- 

 ing of the Hatch act horticulture had been given a separate department in 

 but very few of the agricultural colleges. 



In establishing courses of instruction in agriculture and horticulture, 

 as well as in other ways which might be mentioned, these colleges entered 

 upon new fields of labor. As one after another of the States took advan- 

 tage of the liberality of the Government and the agricultural colleges be- 

 gan to be organized it was found that there were no available men of col- 

 lege or university education who had been fitted by special training to 

 take head positions either in the departments of agriculture or of horti- 

 culture. Men already trained in their respective sciences could be found 

 to take charge of departments in zoology, botany, physics and chemistry, 

 but professors of agriculture or of horticulture must needs be developed. 

 These men, as might naturally be expected, had many difficulties to con- 

 tend with, many perplexing problems to face, much to learn and also 

 much to unlearn before their departments were brought up to the effi- 

 ciency which they have now attained. There was practically nothing by 

 way of precedent to guide them either in organizing or equipping their 

 departments, in mapping out their courses of study or in developing or 

 adapting the methods of instruction best suited to their needs. Of spe- 

 cially prepared text-books there were few or none. High grade technical 

 literature was very meager, and much of the ordinary literature was often 

 full of crudities and more or less unscientific and erroneous. Confronted 

 with such difficulties the first horticulturists of the agricultural colleges 

 set about the task of developing their departments at these institutions 

 upon a sound basis and along practical lines. They soon felt the need of 

 greater knowledge of even the very ordinary and simple things pertaining 

 to horticulture. There were conflicting ideas and theories about propaga- 

 tion, cultivation, pruning and various other horticultural practices. It was 

 desirable to get at the fundamental facts and put them on record for the 

 benefit of others; to know the truth and publish it. In agriculture similar 

 needs also soon came to be recognized. There arose, then, a demand on 

 the part of the agi-icultural colleges for facilities for experiment and re- 

 search in ways which might be of practical benefit to agi-iculture and horti- 

 culture. They presented their needs to Congress in such a way as to 

 finally secure the passage of the Hatch act in 1887. Thus it appears, as 

 has already been stated, that the experiment stations in the United States 

 are the natural and logical outgrowth of the agricultural colleges. 



The Hatch act provides for the establishment of an experiment station 

 under the direction of the agricultural college in each State and territory. 

 Agricultural experiment stations had been in existence in Europe some 

 years before 1887 when this act was passed, the first one having been or- 



