18 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



investigation and experimentation on the problems ^itli which the farmers 

 have been struggling for centuries, and are fast solving them. 



The fruit orchards on the west shore of this t^tate could scarcely have 

 reached their present state of productiveness had it not been for the 

 improved methods of spraying discovered and perfected very largely by 

 our Michigan Experiment Station. 



The chemical laboratory of our experiment station was the starting 

 point of the beet sugar industry. This is where the first analyses were 

 made Avhich meant the weal or woe of the beet sugar enterprise. 



The forestry problem is now being solved in schools of forestry and 

 experiment stations. The practical work will follow based upon experi- 

 ments and methods tried and proved before being placed in operation on a 

 large scale. The scientific and technical knowledge gained from painstak- 

 ing work in our experiment stations is distributed free of charge to all 

 farmers who care for this information. Much of this practical knowledge 

 is given from the platform of our farmers' institutes. A faint idea may 

 be gained of the work done in this line when it is stated that 674 sessions 

 of the institute have been held this year with an average attendance of 

 148. making all told the equivalent of an attendance of approximately 

 100,000 people at one session. Other states are spreading this technical 

 knowledge in a similar way. There is perhaps no way of determining the 

 economic and financial results accruing to the farmers from the technical 

 knowledge received at these institutes, but it is admitted on every hand 

 to be very great. 



The department of agriculture at Washington is a great technical 

 school. Many of the best experts in the various scientific lines of agri- 

 culture in the world are to be found there. These are in close touch with 

 all the other scientific workers in similar lines throughout the country. 

 The assistance rendered to the agriculturist in dairying, animal hus- 

 bandry, fruit culture, and the various other lines can scarcely be com- 

 puted in dollars. 



What has technical education done for the countries of Europe? 



Germany has led the world in meeting the new industrial conditions 

 by establishing schools w^here the science and skill of industrial handi- 

 craft are given. Twenty years ago there was founded in Crefield. Ger- 

 many, a school for the sole purpose of teaching weaving and dyeing and 

 such allied arts and sciences as are useful in the weaving and dyeing 

 industry. The impetus given this industry by the opening of this school 

 was marvelous, affecting not only the textile industry of Crefield, but in all 

 Germany. Silk goods formerly made in France are now exported into 

 France from Crefield. Since the establishment of this school the city has 

 prospered marvelously. Other schools all over the w^orld have been 

 modeled after this one and its graduates are employed by the manufac- 

 turers of textile goods throughout the whole world. Other cities where 

 the weaving and dyeing industries are established have found it necessary 

 to establish such schools in order that they may have a higher grade of 

 skill among their employes. Germany has carried out the idea of indus- 

 trial education in a very thorough and systematic manner. The best papers 

 read in this country or in any other country on any phase of technical 

 training have been translated into the German language and delivered to 

 all schools interested. Their aim seems to be in this matter to know all that 

 the remainder of the world knows and just a little more, and their suc- 

 cess has been marvelous. The dissemination of this technical knowledge. 



