Rejjort of Secretary. 27 



LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. 



The law incorporating the State Board of Agriculture, pro- 

 vides that "The State Board of Agriculture shall be and is hereby 

 constituted the body which shall have supervision of all the legal- 

 ized departments and institutions of the State which are for the 

 advancement of agriculture." This is very broad in its meaning, 

 perhaps more so than has been carried out in practice. I would 

 like to mention here only a few of the things that have recently 

 been accomplished and which were first recommended by this 

 Board. In 1899, the Board recommended an appropriation of 

 $40,000 for a dairy and live stock building. The money was ap- 

 propriated and the building erected in 1901. In 1900, an ap- 

 propriation for a new horticultural building was recommended, 

 and the legislature gave the money the next year. In 1902, the 

 Board recommended an appropriation for a new barn, machine 

 laboratory, and extra live stock, all of which were secured. 



The soil survey work was established upon the recommenda- 

 tion of this Board. In 1906, this Board urged the Board of Cura- 

 tors to train and support judging teams to represent the Agri- 

 cultural College at the American Royal, International and other 

 expositions, and this has been done with gratifying results. Also, 

 as a result of a conference of a commission of this Board, with 

 the Board of Curators, a number of the farm live stock have been 

 exhibited at the leading expositions during 1907-8, and the live 

 stock shown has won during these two years, 180 premiums, to 

 the great gratification of Missouri's Live Stock Breeders. 



In 1906, the Board recommended an appropriation for an 

 experimental poultry plant in the Experiment Station, and the 

 legislature made the appropriation. At the same meeting, this 

 Board urged the necessity for a new Agricultural Building, and 

 as a result, a handsome building is now in course of erection, and 

 ought to be completed before the next annual meeting. 



Perhaps the greatest achievement accomplished by the initia- 

 tive of the Board, was the enactment of the new road law, and 

 providing for State aid to the amount of $1,475,000; however, only 

 $475,000 of this fund has up to the present time been made avail- 

 able. 



I might mention other things, but these will suffice to show 

 what the Board may accomplish by working for the betterment of 

 facilities for the improvement of agriculture in Missouri. 



