446 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



monia existed among our dairy herds and in cattle yards in various parts 

 of the United States. 



It was a critical period in the history of the department, and it 

 needed a man of great administrative and executive ability to place it in 

 that position which the great interests it represented entitled it to occupy. 



Fortunately, the right man was found to take charge of it and place 

 it on the high plane it should stand. Its elevation could be made only 

 by slow degrees. Congress must furnish every dollar required to raise 

 the quality of the work and expand it. Great diplomacy was necessary 

 to secure the proper appropriations. It was only by showing Congress 

 the value of the work being accomplished that new and increased appro- 

 priations could be secured. 



Mr. Colman was well equipped for the important work to which he 

 was assigned. For more than thirty years prior to his appointment he 

 had been editor of the leading agricultural paper of the Mississippi val- 

 ley. He had not only discussed with pen, but with tongue, the great 

 problems that confronted the farmers, and that were identified with their 

 interests. He was a forcible and eloquent speaker, and always held the 

 rapt attention of his listeners. But few public meetings in his section 

 were held where agricultural interests were considered, at which he was 

 not one of the invited speakers. Having been born and brought up on 

 a farm, and having been a practical, as well as theoretical farmer, all his 

 life, he was in close touch and sympathy with his brother farmers. He 

 knew their needs and also what was necessary to be done to secure them. 

 He was well aware of the great prejudice existing against theoretical 

 farming, or "book larnin'," as it is sometimes called, then existing, to a 

 far greater extent than at the present day. He had had legislative ex- 

 perience, which was of much value in enabling him to deal with Con- 

 gress, in order to secure proper appropriations to elevate the standard 

 of the department. He had served as a member of the Legislature of his 

 State, and also as Lieutenant-Governor, presiding over the Senate. 



We have presented these facts in order to show how well equipped 

 he was to fill the important position to which he had been elevated, and 

 it was owing to this admirable equipment that his great success was at- 

 tributable. 



He repeatedly told us that in accepting the office, his highest ambi- 

 tion would be achieved, if he could secure government experiment sta- 

 tions, or experimental farms in connection with our agricultural colleges, 

 so that practical and scientific agriculture could walk hand in hand, and 

 thus obviate the prejudice which existed against scientific farming. The 

 other object of his ambition was to make the department worthy of be- 

 coming one of the great executive departments of the government, with 



