EDITORIAL. 213 



been l)urned or the ground previously cleared the growtli was much 

 better than elsewhere. The superintendent in charge of the station 

 succeeded in maintaining a fairly good garden, and peas, radishes, and 

 lettuce were supplied from it by the middle of eTul}-. Other luu'd}' 

 vegetables promised well. 



A log house 14 by 28 feet was constructed during the past summe'', 

 and additional buildings and equipment are urgently needed. In 

 addition to the ground seeded, or 7 acres have been cleared and l)}- 

 next spring it is expected to have at least 20 acres under cultivation, 

 grains and forage plants being grown on a farm scale. 



Professor Georgeson estimates that there are about 1(),00() square 

 miles of good agricultural landin this valley, with perhaps half asnuu-h 

 more in mountain valleys which lead out into the interior plain. The 

 soil is rich and well adapted to cultivation, and it is believed feasil)le 

 to grow good cereal crops at least three yenvH out of four. Notwith- 

 standing the rich mineral deposits of the Copper River countrj^, it is 

 believed that the}^ will ultimately be exceeded by the value of the 

 agricultural products, if this country is properl}^ opened up. 



We give in this issue the plans of the new building for farm mechan- 

 ics at the Iowa Agricultural College. This department is not only 

 new at that institution, but is one of the latest products of specialization 

 in agricultural instruction in this country. It is an attempt to do for 

 that part of rural engineering what has already been done for agron- 

 omy and for animal production at many of the colleges — to l)ring 

 together in a logical way the scattered instruction which l)ears on this 

 branch of agriculture, and to work out systematic and well-rounded 

 courses in it. 



A number of colleges are now considering the establishment of 

 departments of rural engineering or farm mechanics, and there is much 

 interest in the development of these subjects as independent lines of 

 work. The Illinois College of Agriculture has had an instructor in 

 farm mechanics for several years past; the Wisconsin College has 

 received a State appropriation of §15,000 for a farm-engineering 

 building, and the North Dakota College has of late l)een giving special 

 attention to this su])ject. In Minnesota the College of Agriculture has 

 obtained an appropriation of $5,000 for a building for its course on 

 farm machinery, and the officers of the State fair have granted the 

 college the use of a large pavilion in which machines loaned l)y man- 

 ufacturers are to be housed for instructional purposes. 



The opportunity for useful and eflPective work, l)oth in instruction 

 and in experimentation, is abundant; and the new courses will offer 

 further opportunity for the agricultural student to specialize, and for 

 the prospective farmer to receive systematic training in the theory 



