584 KOAP.D OF AGRICULTURE. 



learned well, too, the law of cost of production. They know well that 

 the locality having advantages of soil, climate, transportation and labor 

 over another locality or county can drive the latter out of the markets, 

 and, that for example, it would be foUy for a man to grow peaches in 

 Indiana when that fruit can be produced cheaper in Michigan, or corn 

 in Michigan that can be grown, for most part, cheaper in Indiana or 

 Illinois. 



Eleventh. And lastly, I may say that many old methods have fallen 

 out of use; arkd still other improved ones than those above named have 

 become established; and that many, many others are in the process of 

 abandonment or of adoption. 



What is the explanation of these mighty changes? How comes it that 

 the giant that tills the soil is thus awakening? Formerly a matter of 

 digging and delving in monotonous routine in connection with farm work 

 and in accordance with rules handed down from generation to generation, 

 agriculture and its several branches are now rounding into resourceful, 

 stable industries founded on businesslike systems and on scientific prin- 

 ciples. 



Is it not true that a half century ago the tiller of the soil availed 

 himself but little of the advantages of science and of education? There 

 were few or no specially trained agriculturists. And is it not true. that 

 at the present time and coincident with the progress in agriculture which 

 I have so briefly sketched, men in all depai*tmeuts of agriculture have 

 seized every advantage to develop their facilities; in short, that the 

 farmer has become conscious of the meaning and value of educa- 

 tion? If we contrast our present agriculture with that of a half century 

 ago, shall we not say that the difference is mainly due to the greater 

 influence of science now than then? Brain takes the place of brawn. And 

 when we see how, daily, competition is making the adoption of scientific 

 methods more general than necessary, we shall rightly infei- that success 

 in agriculture soon will be impossible without a competent knowledge of 

 the sciences having to do with the industry and without special training 

 in the arts of agriculture. 



With this brief glimpse of the achievements of the trained agri- 

 culturists in recent years, let us glance for a moment at the means of 

 training now at the command of the farmer and which half a century 

 ago did not exist— means, I believe, which have, in large measure, brought 

 about the marvelous growth which we have been discussing. 



At a meeting of the American Pomological Society held just after the 

 war, it was a matter of pride and of rejoicing that there were over a 

 dozen horticultural societies in the Union. Now there ai-e nearly that 

 many national societies In prosperous exi.stence, devoted to horticultural 

 interests alone, nearly a hundred to represent states and geographical dis- 

 tricts, while local organizations run well up toward a thousand. I take it 

 that societies have multiplied and thrived in all the special industries of 

 agriculture just as they have \n horticulture. 



