DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 31 



Sec. 6. Tliat upon the passage of this act, before the agricultural college in any- 

 State can draw any funds as provided, the legislature of such State shall pass an act 

 accepting such trust and agreeing to conduct an experiment station in accordance 

 therewith. 



In the 47th Congress the Hon.C. C. Carpenter, of Iowa, introduced a bill, substan- 

 tially the same as the foregoing, which was referred to the committee on Agriculture. 



At a meeting of the delegates from the several Agricultural and Mechanical Col- 

 leges, called by Commissioner Loring, for January, 18S3, this bill was perfected as 

 here printed, and the following standing committee was appointed by Dr. Loring to 

 have the matter in charge: 



President Knapp, of Iowa, 



President Abbot, of Miciiigan, 



President Peabody, of Illinois, 



President Chadbourn, of Massachusetts, 



President Lee, of Mississippi. 



In the 48th Congress tliis bill was promptly introduced by Hon. A. J. Holmes, of 

 iowa.— H. R. 447. 



It should not be necessary at this time to enter into a discussion of tlie value 

 of agricultural experiment stations. The importance of a body of scientific experts 

 and observers in the leading industries, has been fully recognized in Europe, and 

 their beneficial labors are understood by well informed men in this countr}'. In the 

 United States we have the anomaly, among enliglitened nations, of a people, the 

 prosperity of which depends largely upon sustaining agriculture, and upon elimin- 

 ating from it the uncertainties of production, failing to support their interests and 

 deflecting their school funds almost entirely to other lines of education. 



Witli no agricultural instruction in the common schools of the country, what can 

 one or two stations on the Atlantic coast do towards educating half a continent in 

 the broad domain of agriculture? As well might a single cannon, planted on Bunk- 

 er's Hill, defend the seaboard cities of the nation from the combined attack of the 

 n.avies of the world. 



There are, therefore, many important reasons why this hill ought to become a law; 

 to some of which allow me to call public attention: 



1st. The diversity in climatic conditions in the United States is so great that any 

 attempt, by a single station, to give information of general value, must be limited to 

 pure scientific statements, so narrow as to fail in accomplishing the worlc designed; 

 or allowing greater latitudes of advice, such statements would be misleading in most 

 sections of the country. The fruit trees, many of the forest trees, the wheats, the 

 corn, the oats, etc., adapted to the Atlantic States, are totally unsuited to Iowa, and 

 to nearly ail that great territory between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains; 

 and a positive damage has been done to this mid-continent section by the distribu- 

 tion of the plants and seeds suited to a moist climate. A similar statement may be 

 made in regard to other sections of the United States. 



This diversity in climatic conditions is sogre at as to include not only the plants, 

 but all that relates to their production, the sales and the methods of retaining or 

 restoring their fertility and nearly all the processes in the wide domain of husbandry. 



2d. The distribution of seeds and plants, to be valuable, must be done with intelli- 

 gent reference to the requirements of the several localities to which they are sent. 

 Marked climatic difterences frequently exist within the limits of a State, requiring 

 close discrimination in the disemination of plants. 



3d. The domain for experiment is very wide, covering such countless things and 

 details as to almost overwhelm the investigator upon the threshold of liis inquiries. 



Judicious selection from the multitude, is of primary necessity, and an experiment 

 station is valuable in proportion to its considerate selection of the more important 

 lines of agricultural investigations, audits devotion to them of most careful attention. 

 Agriculture in the United states is so diversified that it requires stations devoted to 

 the specialties of tlie several divisions, and so located as to make the tests under con- 

 ditions similar to those in the districts to be benefited. 



To intelligently carry out the purposes for which the Department of Agriculture 

 was created, to wit: "To acquire and diffuse among the people of the United States, 

 useful information on subjects connected with agriculture, in the most general sense 

 of the word, and to procure, propagate, and distribute among the people, new and 

 valuable seeds and plants," requires that experiment stations be established in every 

 State; and it remains only to notice some of the features of this bill. 



It is not presumed that any one favorable to station work will object to sections 

 o,ne and two of this bill. 



