o4 BOARD OF AGRICULTURK. 



iiud cliurniug. Milk and cream are uow bought by test by every first- 

 class creamery iu the United States. Much has been done in the study 

 of feeding problems such as the determination of relative values and 

 profitable combination of feeding stuffs. 



The feeding of sheep, cattle and hogs has had much attention. Mich- 

 igan and Wisconsin have done conspicuous work with sheep. Iowa, Kan- 

 sas and other Western States with steers. Indiana and Wisconsin Avith 

 hogs. Vermont, New York and Wisconsin witli dairy cattle. 



In the early history of station work, owing to lack of funds and ex- 

 perience, experiments were conducted with too few individuals. Now the 

 importance of feeding steers in car-load lots and sheep and hogs in pens 

 of at last five or ten is fully appreciate^, even if available funds do not 

 permit it. 



A branch of the station work which is yet in its infancy is the co- 

 operative work, where some farmer or group of them furnishes the land, 

 the labor and seed, or the cattle and feed, and the experiment station 

 plans the experiment and visits from time to time during the season to 

 give direction or assistance. 



In our own State co-operative work has been begun with corn breed- 

 ing and A-ariety tests in a limited way. Iowa has led in the co-operative 

 cattle feeding work, having some ten car loads of steers fed under the 

 station's direction on one farm. The station selecting and grouping them, 

 while the owner furnished feed and labor. 



There is room in Indiana for a large amount of helpful work along 

 this line and at not very great expense iu proportion to results secured, 

 adapting results to many localities, rather than confining them to that of 

 the station farm. The Indiana station has given to the world the forma- 

 lin treatment for oatsmut and the corrosive suliliniate treatment for 

 potato scab, as well as done some good work on fertilizer tests and wheat 

 varieties, as well as along other lines. 



It is possible to very much improve and enlarge the sphere of useful- 

 ness of our experiment station if the farmers care to co-operate in lines 

 which will redound to their own benefit. 



I call your attention to the fact that while the State is contributing 

 to the work of educating the young men who go to Purdue University for 

 agricultural training, Indiana does not appropriate one cent for experi- 

 mental w^ork and research. Agricultural college funds can not be used 

 for station work, and yet the work of the station may come closer to a 

 larger number of farmers, than that of the college. The money appro- 

 priated by the United States Government is all that is spent for experi- 

 mental purposes. 



I can not stop without saying something in behalf of the younger 

 group of farmers who are steadily taking the place of those older men 

 who have been and are the leaders of our agi'icultural interests, but are 

 handing the lines over to younger men. If these young men are to attain 



