52 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



The increasing importance of these various conditions is requiring 

 tliat the modern farmer be a student of his business to a degree that 

 many do not realize. Where formerly all that was necessary was 

 strength and endurance to pile rock, remove timber and stumps and 

 plow, plant and reap, and courage to persevere under more or less iso- 

 lated conditions, it is now necessary to add to his equipment a degree of 

 mental effort aliin to that of the successful merchant or professional man. 



Permit me to direct the attention of this organization,, which stands 

 for leadership in agricultural development in our State, to some of the 

 influences and institutions which are at worlc for a larger and better 

 agriculture, and also to the fact that the men who most need the helpful 

 influence of these institutions are slow to leave their duties and attend 

 the farmers' institutes, State Fair, live stock, dairy association, horticul- 

 tui-e, and other meetings and often are not even reading a real live agri- 

 culture paper, to say nothing of books or bulletins. And yet the propor- 

 tion who do take advantage of these helps is not only small, but upon 

 them develops the public-spirited citizen's duty of arousing his neighbors 

 to a realization of the opportunities which are at hand. 



Conspicuous among these institutions may be mentioned the depart- 

 ment of agriculture at Washington, the State experiment stations, the 

 agriculture colleges and the farmers' institutes. 



The department of agriculture has its investigators traveling in all 

 parts of the world seeking that which may be helpful and profitably 

 grown on our farms, and as a result of which we have new and profit- 

 able varieties of wheat and forage crops, such as soy beans, cow peas, 

 grasses and grains. Recently thej' have succeeded in stamping out that 

 terrible foot and mouth disease in New England. They have been in- 

 strumental in a very large degree in introducing the beet sugar industry, 

 and, in co-operation with the State experiment stations, have very clearly 

 pointed out the area most suitable to beet growing and are at Avork on 

 the development of varieties adapted to them. 



In certain parts of the country they are now at work on irrigation 

 and forestry problems, also important soil surveys. Not least important 

 is the work being done along the lines of improved roads. Each year the 

 work of the department is being extended and co-operative work is being 

 taken up in the different States. 



Through the oflice of experiment stations the results of research by 

 both Government and station authorities are published and made avail- 

 able to the farmers of the whole country. No farmer is living up to his 

 largest possibilities who does not receive regularly and without cost 

 "The Monthly List of Government Publications" telling liim what has 

 been published and where he can secure it. He should also have his 

 name on the department mailing list for the series known as "Farmers' 

 Bulletins" and another series of "Experiment Station Work." 



Pardon a seeming digression while I review the origin and organiza- 



