I 



59 



bv ciithiisiastic t I'iKlc^mcn. Mr. Alwood also iiiuioiiiiccd the ciU-ly 

 l)ul)licati()ii. throuo^li the Ollice of Kxpcriiuciit Stations, of a hiillctiu 

 (•()ntaiiiiii<>: a list of the ofru-crs liaviiig hoi'ticultiiral work iu charge, 

 and an outline of this work at the sevei-al stations. 



A number of distinu'uislied <>('ntleinen, represent ing- \arious inter- 

 ests outside of the association, made brief adcbvsses. Senatoi- Kea- 

 *fiu\. of Texas, gave his experience in the cuhivation of alfalfa, which 

 he strongly recommended as a forage ])lant. (Jeneral Morgan, C'on)- 

 missioner of Indian Alfairs, urged the colleges to ])repare teaclu'rs 

 (|ualifie(l to instruct the young Fiidians in agricult ui-c and mechanic 

 arts. Captain Priitt, president of the Indian school at Carlisle, l*a., 

 stated tluit the Indian boys of liis school had earned some $l"2.0t)0 

 during the past year by manual laboi- on farms and elsewhere. Mr. 

 A\'iilis. of the (leological Survey. exi)lained what the Survey was 

 doing in niai)])ing the soils of the country, invliminary to their more 

 thorough study l)y agricultural in\e^:tigat()i's. Dr. Kggleston, in 

 behalf of the American Forestry Association, urged the stations to 

 imi)ress upon t-he farmers the great desirability of tree culture. 



The most important formal action taken by the association per- 

 tained to changes in its organization. Standing conunittees on agri- 

 culture, botany, chemistry, entomology, and horticulture were 

 created to look after these special interests, and to assist in the 

 preparation of programmes for meetings of the association, Avhich 

 should make provision for general and sectional sessions, and thus 

 secure the discussion of a greater variety of technical as well as 

 general topics. These committees, through their chairmen, are to 

 present re})orts of progress in the several lines of station work at 

 the next convention, and also to prei)are ])rogrammes for the meet- 

 ings of the several sections. It is lioj^ed that this action will greatly 

 increase the interest of all the woi-ker.-^ in the colleges and stations, 

 as well as others laboring in kindi-ed line-,, in the~e annual as'-emblies 

 of workei's in agricultural science, and at the same time promote the 

 etHciency of the association as an aid to co-operative action among 

 the various institutions represented in its membership. 



A noteworth}^ feature of this meeting of the association was the 

 general desire to discuss methods of work rather than administrative 

 questions. The meetings of the sections in })articular were largely 

 ]iersonal conferences, devoted to business-like discussions of subjects 

 inunediately connected with the experiments and investigations in 

 which the stations are now engaged. Tlie spirit of harmony, the pro- 

 found sense of common interests and aims, and the determination to 

 meet the needs of practical farmers, manifested tiironghout the meet- 

 ing, are additional evidences of the hopeful .condition of the great 

 enterprise foi- the jn'omotion of agi-icultui'al science and education, to 

 which the American people, through (he repeated action of Congress, 

 have so full\- conunitled themselves. 



