Minutes of Proceedings. 13 



improved live stock. In doing this judging work 14 men worked a total of 

 III days and judged 7,852 animals. 304,000 people attended these fairs. 



The Department of Agronomy supplied expert judges for 67 corn shows 

 in the State. This work required 77 days. There were 7,216 exhibits and 

 254,000 people attending these shows. In 1910, 3,000 Missouri boys and young 

 men enrolled in corn growing contests under the direction of the College 

 of Agriculture. Full information for planting, cultivating and harvesting 

 v/ere furnished by the College. More than 100 of these boys later attended 

 the Short Winter Course at Columbia. The first Farmers' Short Course ever 

 given by the Missouri College of Agriculture was held during Farmers' Week 

 in December, 1909. More than 600 persons enrolled for systematic instruct- 

 tion in Agriculture. During the same time a boys' short course in grain and 

 live stock judging was conducted. Thirty-one boys were enrolled in this 

 course. 



Each summer from June to August the College of Agriculture offers 

 special courses to teachers with a view to preparing them to teach Agriculture 

 in the rural and high schools of Missouri. More than 150 teachers were en- 

 rolled in these courses in 1910. 



We congratulate the College of Agriculture upon the work accomplished 

 and commend the purpose of the institution in carrying the results of its inves- 

 tigation directly to the farmers in various parts of the State. 



In our judgment the most important division in the College of Agriculture 

 is the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Experiment Station is the creator 

 of new knowledge. It investigates fundamental problems and is of the utmost 

 importance in the development of Agriculture as a vocation and of Agricultural 

 instruction. 



The Missouri Experiment Station is successfully conducting investigations 

 in Animal Nutrition, Dairy Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Horticulture, En- 

 tomology, Farm Management and in Agricultural Chemistry. The results of 

 investigations are published in bulletins which are widely distributed in the 

 State. 



During the past year the Experiment Station has published 21 bulletins 

 and circulars of information. 



Some of the more important lines of work which have been directly con- 

 cerned with the agricultural activities of Missouri farmers are the following: 



During the past year the Agricultural Experiment Station has inocu- 

 lated more than 40,000 hogs with hog cholera serum. From 80 to 85 per 

 cent of these animals have been saved. By this means alone more than 

 $500,000 has been added to the wealth of Missouri. The appropriation of 

 $10,000 made by the Missouri Legislature was insufficient to meet the de- 

 mands of farmers for hog cholera serum. In order to supply serum to 

 those making application it was necessary for the College of Agriculture 

 to charge 75 per cent of the cost of production. We approve this plan and 

 recommend that hereafter the serum be sold to farmers at cost, thus relieving 

 the Legislature of further appropriations for this work. 



The work of making an agricultural soil survey of Missouri has been 

 carried forward with a vigor during the year. The importance of this work 

 and efficiency with which it has been conducted in Missouri has induced the 

 United States Department of Agriculture to cooperate in carrying forward this 

 important investigation. Six bulletins have already been published on the re- 

 sults of the soil survey work in the State. Careful and detailed surveys of in- 

 dividual counties are now being made, and this work, when completed, will be 

 of the greatest economic benefit to Missouri. 



In 1910 there were 66 men in 105 counties cooperating with tlie central 



