6 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



the people of this country from its earliesi history. The journals 

 kept by Washington and Jefferson, show the efforts they made to 

 vary and increase production by experiment, and from their own 

 day down to the present, many individuals, as well as farmers' 



clubs, have been pursuing the same course. The progress made, 

 however, was necessarily slow until the subject was taken up by 

 Congress, and the act of 1887 establishing experiment sta- 

 tions was passed. Since then, the progress made has been phenom- 

 enal. Experiments in the breeding and feeding of live slock, in 

 the development of new varieties of cereals, vegetables and fruits, 

 in the feeding of plants and the destruction of the diseases and in- 

 sects that interfere with their growth, these and many other experi- 

 ments have been going on, and bulletins of information as to results, 

 are being scattered among the farmers of the whole country, so 

 that the day can not be very remote when the farmer who reads, 

 will know not only how to grow his crops most successfully, but 

 will also know how to protect them against the insects and diseases 

 to which they are subject. In all this work, our own experiment 

 station has performed its full share, and now that our State authori- 

 ties have come to recognize the importance of the work it is doing, 

 and the policy that has from the beginning prevailed in other states, 

 that of aiding the work by State appropriation, has been adopted 

 by our State Legislature, our Experiment Station is destined to 

 become still more efficient in the future than it has been in the past. 



State Board of Agriculture: During the year, the Department 

 has enjoyed the co-operation of the State Board of Agriculture, 

 which has, in many w r ays, proved quite helpful. It is a very great 

 advantage to the head of the Department to have located in almost 

 every county of the State some one, upon whom he may call when 

 necessary for assistance or information, who, on account of his 

 known qualifications, has been chosen by his fellow r -farmers to 

 represent them upon this Board. This Board has proven its devo- 

 tion to the cause of agriculture by a faithful continuance in its work, 

 during the eleven years in which no appropriation was made to meet 

 the expenses of its members. Its meetings have been well attended, 

 and the intelligent discussion at these meetings of many timely and 

 pertinent questions, relating to practical and scientific agriculture, 

 have been a great help in the onward move toward better methods, 

 better living and higher education and culture for the agricultural 

 classes. The Board has called to its aid a corps of scientific special 

 ists whose reports of researches made for the discovery of hitherto 

 unsettled principles directly related to agriculture, are of great 

 value. No recognition of merit was ever more worthilv bestowed 

 than that which was given to this Board by the last General As 

 sembly, in renewing the appropriation to defray its expenses. 



Other farm organizations, among which I may name the Grange, 

 the State Live Stock Breeders' Association, Dairy Union, Horticul- 

 tural Society, and Bee-Keepers' Association, have all in their respect- 

 ive lines, been doing most excellent work. Such associations should 

 be encouraged in every way possible, for the more of these associa- 

 tions we have, within reasonable limits, and the better they are 

 supported, the more rapid will be our advancement in agricultural 

 knowledge and attainments. 



County Fairs: Among the agencies helpful to agriculture during 



