No. 7. DEPAirJTvIENT OF AGRICULTURE. 7 



feed the world. In every effort for the welfare of our race, Pennsyl- 

 vania has stood in the front line and borne her full part, and in the 

 effort to jirovide for the rapidly increasing population of the world, 

 the farmers of Pennsylvania must direct their effort toward the 

 im])ro\('ni(nt of methods, the increase of soil fertility and the use 

 of every advantage revealed by science for increasing the yield of 

 every acre of land under cultivation. 



In all this effort to increase the producing capacity of the soil, the 

 inijjoi l;n:v e of the piesence of livestock upon the farm must not he 

 overlooked. In this wa}' plant food as well as the vegetable matter 

 needed to keep up the supply of humus in the soil, so essential to the 

 prevention of waste, by washing, will be returned to the land and 

 its producing power will be preserved. 



DAIRY INDUSTRY HELPFUL TO SOIL FERTILITY. 



The farm that supports a dairy of which, I am glad to say, there 

 are many in the State, has equal advantages for soil improvement 

 with the farm that is de' oted to stock brc^edin<>', and it is gratifying 

 to note that the interest in this industry seems to be increasing. The 

 prices realized for milk and butter have been increasing gradually 

 during the last few years, so that dairymen have every encouragment 

 not only to continue in the business, but to enlarge their operations. 



In my last report, reference was made to the good work being done 

 by the vState Dairy Union. Its annual meetinps bring the most pro- 

 gressive dairymen of the State together for the discussion of sub- 

 jects of vital interest to their calling. The best instructors available 

 are secured from among the most successful dairymen, and from the 

 Agricultural Experiment Stations of the country, and a full state- 

 ment of the proceedings of the meeting including all lectures and 

 discussions is published and distributed among the dairymen of the 

 State for their enlightenment. The Dairy Union is therefore an ac- 

 tive educational force that is constantly at work, and for this reason 

 I would recommend that an appropriation be made by the General 

 Assembly of a specific sum, bearing some comparison to the impor- 

 tance of the work, to be applied by this I)e])artment toward meeting 

 the expenses incurred by the Union in holding its meetings and pub- 

 lishing and circulating the reports of its proceedings, 



DEPARTMENT EiXPANSION AND WORK. 



The constant effort of this Department has been directed, ever 

 since its creation, to secure the greatest progress possible in all the 

 various lines of agricultural activity. The Department has grown 

 as might have been expected. Its power for good was recognized by 

 the people as well as by their representatives in the General Assem- 

 bly as soon as it was organized and its activities were beguf.. 

 Each successive Legislature has added something to its duties so 

 that at the present time it consists of six distinct Divisions or 

 Bureaus, each of which is doing a specific and important work for 

 th<' agriculture of the State. 



FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



The Division of Farmers' Institutes is growing in importance 

 every year. The wisdom of the Cieneral Assembly that framed th3 

 laAV creating the Department, in providing that this work should be 

 under the supervision of a competent head, is clearly seen. The work 



