116 



Missouri Agricultural Beport. 



toiy traversed by the railroads. These exhibit ears grew into the special 

 trains which have been used on a number of railroads in co-operation 

 with the Board of Agriculture and the Agricultural College, and thou- 

 sands of farmers have been interested in this way and much valuable 

 information disseminated. 



Farmer' Week in Columbia, which is a great convention partici- 

 pated in by all organized agriculture in the State, was instituted by 

 the State Board of Agriculture and has proved the greatest factor in 

 the development of the College of Agriculture and the Board of any of 

 the methods that have yet been tried. It was largely through the in- 

 fluence of this convention, and agitation and organization by the State 

 Board of Agriculture, that the magnificent new Agricultural Building 

 was secured, as well as a greater and better equipment for the Col- 

 lege. The first official demand for a Dairy Building, for a live stock 

 bam, for an appropriation for improving the live stock of the State 

 farm, for providing and fitting a show herd of live stock to be exhibited 



at the various expositions of the coun- 

 try, for establishing and maintaining a 

 soil survey of the State, and other im- 

 provements, was made by the State 

 Board of Agriculture in their recom- 

 mendations for the betterment of the 

 Agricultural College. These recommen- 

 dations were followed up by organi- 

 zation and agitation of the Board, and 

 appropriations secured to carry them 

 into effect. Individually, I have always 

 held that the logical way to bring about 

 a better agricultural condition in Mis- 

 souri is to build up a great agricultural 

 college and experiment station that will 

 be competent to give the farmer techni- 

 cal and practical information on any subject whatever that may bear 

 directly upon the economics of the farm. 



The one thing that has brought about the greatest improvement in 

 farm practice has been the organization of corn growing contests and 

 the education of the farmers on the subject of the improvement of the 

 corn crop. Corn is the leading crop of the State, representing 50 per 

 cent, or more of the total value of all farm crops. Believing that when 

 a man is interested in improving one crop he will become interested in 

 improving conditions generally, the Board of Agriculture made this 



Illustration, sliowins? part of cover de- 

 sign used on booklet, "Poultry- 

 Problems and Profits." 



