506 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



through historical phases of agricultural production. First comes 

 the exploitation of virgin land by the soil robber, a proceeding that 

 is justified by the poverty of the settler or his lack of capital; next 

 is the diminished production per acre, which surprises the farmer, 

 and for which he is unable to account; next is the receipt of 

 information from the scientist as to the means of improving the 

 productivity of the land, with slow response; in the course of time, 

 especially when the next or perhaps the third generation takes the 

 farm, important advances are made, at first irregularly and mostly 

 on the farms of the leading farmers, and subsequently with increasing 

 diffusion and accelerated speed. 



" In the case of all crops for wdiich production per acre is known, 

 there was an increase during the last ten years and also, in a some- 

 what less degree, in the case of most of them, during the last twenty 

 3^ears. This is the general fact for the United States in spite of the 

 damaging effect on the general average by reason of decreasing pro- 

 duction per acre from land that has not yet entered upon the final 

 historic stage of agriculture. 



" The farmers of this country have now made a creditable begin- 

 ning in this last phase of historic agriculture. It is now a movement 

 of masses as well as of leaders. It is more and more a diffused move- 

 ment in place of being broken up into localized efforts. This move- 

 ment has gained most of its headway during the last tw^elve years. 

 Increased production per acre is clearly indicating the extent and 

 force of this uplifting movement. . . . 



" No one need fear that the farmers of this country will ever be 

 unable to provide for its population. They are already demonstrating 

 in the cases of various crops and of various States that they can pro- 

 vide for a population increasing faster than by increase due to excess 

 of births over deaths." 



Taking all the facts into consideration, the Secretary draws the 

 broad general conclusion " that agriculture has made wonderful prog- 

 ress and permanent advancement, and that the farmer in results of 

 information, intelligence, and industry has thriren mightily " during 

 the last dozen years. " The progress that has been made is in the di- 

 rection leading to popular and National welfare, to the sustenance of 

 any future population, as well as to a larger efficiency of the farmer 

 in matters of wealth production and saving, and in establishing him- 

 self and his family in more pleasant ways of living." 



From the standpoint of the agricultural scientist, the most interest- 

 ing fact regarding the foregoing review of the recent agricultural 

 progress of the United States is that it is inseparable from the record 

 of the growth and development of our institutions for agricultural 

 education and research. The period of the most effective work of 

 these institutions is the same as that covered by the Secretary's re- 



