48 RI'M'OKT OF OFFICK oF KX I'KKIM KNT STATIONS. 



of this siil)jert hy this I)('i)!irtiiieut and th(^ iij^ric-ultiiral (•()lU'<(('s dl" this 

 count rv. 



In (icniiany. I'ranct', and ni()r(\ recently in Kn<i;hind, ii W(dl-('(|iiipped 

 hibonitory for testing; at^ricultural iiiacliines and a imistnnn lilled witli 

 samples of nia<-hines of dificrent patterns for examination by students 

 is held to l)e as essential to proper instruction in a<iriculture as a 

 chemical la))oratory. The first lloor of the aj^i-icultuial iiit^h school 

 ut Berlin cDutains a nuiseum in which are found tlic best types of n^v'i 

 cultui'al implements of the United States, En<^land, and Germany. 

 The student who makes proper use of that nmseum has a better under, 

 standing of the principles which govern the construction of the tools 

 h(^ is to use and the modifications to conform to different uses than it 

 would be possible for him to ac(iuire in any other W!i\', and it is a kind 

 of training especially demanded b}^ the conditions of American farm 

 life. 



This training in the agricultural institutions of (iermanv is regarded 

 there as of the highest value not only by farmers but also by manufac- 

 turers. It gives them trained workmen in their shops and trained agents 

 to extend their export trade in different countries. The union of agri- 

 cultural and mechanical knowledge in their employees and agents has 

 enabled German implement makers to greatly increase their export 

 trade, and it is believed that the same result would follow similar 

 training here. If we are to maintain our standing as a producing and 

 manufacturing nation, we must maintain our superiority as designers 

 and users of farm machinery, and this can be best promoted by V)ringing 

 the intelligence of the trained experts of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture and of the professors and students of our agricultural colleges to 

 bear on this problem. 



Of late, interest in the problems of rural engineering has been 

 awakened in man}' agricultural regions in this countr}'. A few col- 

 leges have created departments for instruction in certain })ranches of 

 rural engineering, the departments of irrigation engineering in Colo- 

 rado and California being illustrations of this, and a number of colleges 

 are now beginning the establishment of courses in rural engineering 

 with farm mechanics as the leading feature, and there is much interest 

 in the development of these courses as independent lines of work. 

 Among these are the colleges of agriculture in Illinois, Wisconsin, 

 Mimiesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. 



The colleges attempting to establish courses in farm mechanics and 

 other lines of agricultural engineering are inunediately made aware of 

 the fact that the data for the scientific and pedagogical basis of such 

 courses are verj^ meager, and they are, therefore, looking to this 

 Depai-tment to aid them in instituting investigations to supply this 

 information. Inquiries which might profitably be undertaken under 

 this head include: 



