No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 465 



Twenty-five 3'ears ago agriculture in Belgium was in a condition 

 so depressed that the livelihood of the people were seriously 

 threatened. It became necessary to do something for its develop- 

 ment. Their wise men got together and after considering the situa- 

 tion at home and looking at agriculture as pursued in different other 

 countries, adopted a plan that has proved to be marvelously success- 

 ful. They did not begin with four or five experiments, but selected 

 one and carried it on for 25 vears. It consisted in the creation of 

 an office called ''Agricultural Supervisor." This supervisor was 

 placed over the entire Kingdom. The country was divided into three 

 divisions, and an agricultural expert was placed in each of these di- 

 visions. Later they appointed an expert for each Province. Each of 

 these men was required to give his entire time and attention to the 

 development of agriculture in his District. No one could be ap- 

 pointed to the position who did not possess a certificate as x\gricul- 

 tural Engineer, except an occasional man who had been conspicuous 

 for his success along some line of agriculture., and he only after he 

 had passed an examination before an expert board. The results have 

 just been published and Ave have had the report translated in our 

 office. 



There are today thirty-two of these experts in charge of agricul- 

 ture in the various provinces. As a result in the Province of Ant- 

 werp, arable land Avas raised in 25 years from |105 per acre to |162. 

 Prairie land from |146 to |243 ; heath land that was pretty nearly 

 valueless, went up from $4.00 to $16.00 ; sandy land was raised from 

 1100 to |225. In East Flanders the best land was raised from |243 

 to |405, — an increase of |160 per acre. 



Similar advance Avas made in value in every variety and character 

 of soil, sandy, peat, bog and other kinds. There was nothing done 

 by the State for the improvement of her agriculture but that one 

 thing, — simply putting one or two experts into each Province to 

 show the people the most advance-d methods of agriculture. 



We heard in Mr. Hutchison's paper, something about the amount 

 of wheat grown in Pennsylvania. Here is what they did in Belgium. 

 At the time the experiment began in 1S85, they were producing in 

 Antwerp an average of 28.75 bushels of wheat per acre; in 1910, it 

 was 31 bushels, an increase of 7.30 bushels per acre. The yield of 

 rye in 1885 was 23.45 bushels per acre; in 1910, it was 31.07 bushels; 

 an increase of 7.62 bushels. Potatoes, 207 bushels per acre in 1885, 

 as against 294 bushels in 1910, — an increase of about 87 bushels 

 per acre. The increase, for the Province of Brabant was wheat, 

 14.73 per acre; rye, 19.44 per acre; barley, 30.62 per acre. In beets 

 they raised the percentage of sugar from 11 to 16 per cent. The 

 increase in wheat for the whole country was from 24.53 to 38.53 

 bushels per acre, or 14 bushels. Farm animals show the same pro- 

 portion of increase. 



This was all brought about through the efforts of these experts. 

 The information available was first put into their hands and they 

 were sent out to disseminate it among the farmers. I am confident 

 that if we were to adopt similar methods, we could have similar 

 results. We have just as good land as any that is found abroad, just 

 as good climate, and just as capable people, and yet we are away be- 

 hind in our results. The State of Pennsylvania could not invest 

 30—6—1911 



