T28 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Station at Lafayette. It is not generally known throughout the State 

 that our experiment station is supported entirely by a national appro- 

 priation of $15,000 a year. We thinli of our experiment station as a pan 

 of Purdue University, and a great many people think that it is supported 

 by the general fund, the same as the school. This is not the case. The 

 experiment station is supported by $15,000 a year from the national 

 government. In 1887 there was a law passed giving every State in the 

 Union the same amount. We find that the $15,000 that we are receiving 

 does not answer our needs. The buildings need repairing, as any one who 

 has been there lately knows. We are handicapped seriously because we 

 haven't funds. There are bulletins to be issued, but no money to issue 

 them. The State Dairy Association at its last meeting appointed a legis- 

 lative committee, and I was chairman of that committee. We discussed 

 this subject of securing help from the Legislature, and after considering 

 all sides of the question we have concluded to work with the other agri- 

 cultural societies of the State to secure an appropriation of as much 

 as we can get. At the present time we are working with the Corn 

 Growers' and Live Stoclc men, and we have a joint committee preparing 

 a bill to present to the fjegislature within the next day or two. This 

 matter is one that will require the assistance of every farmer in the 

 State. The farmers of Indiana cast about GO per cent, of the vote of the 

 State — at least I am told so by a man that ought to know— and I suppose 

 they pay about the same proportion of taxes, if not more, and if so, 

 you can easily see where the farmers stand with the Legislature. We 

 must have an appropriation if we expect to keep up with neighboring 

 States. It will be absolutely necessary that the work of the experiment 

 station be enlarged. The work will be excellent which will be done with 

 this added money if we get it, and I believe we will if we make the riglit 

 kind of an effort. We want the farmers of the State to help us. The 

 committee can do all in its power and yet will not accomplish results 

 by themselves, but the individual work of every farmer in the State 

 is wanted. Every man and woman here has some influence. If they 

 would drop a postal card to each representative or see them before you 

 leave town— interview them, and tell them that the farmers want and 

 must have it, and that we are going to got it— if you will go to work in 

 that way we will get it, but we shall fail if you leave everything to us,. 

 You must not expect the committee to do everything. If you would take 

 it upon yourselves to see the representatives personally we might accom- 

 plish this easily. The legislators would not think of turning down the 

 farmers. I want to present this matter at this time so that you can 

 see the legislators before you leave town, and help us along in this worU. 



President Johnson: Do you know what our neighboring States mi*' 

 doing? 



Mr. Schlosser: Illinois has $85,000 for the benefit of the experiment 

 station; Ohio has $01,000, and we ought to have more than we are nsking. 



