PERMANENT AGRICULTURE 15 



DOCTOR HOPKINS' LIFE WORK 



The solution of the problem of the human food supply is the cul- 

 mination of Dr. Hopkins' life work. It is a thing complete in itself. 

 I liken it to the discovery by Columbus of a new continent : the dis- 

 covery was complete in the first voyage, others could develop his find- 

 ings. So Dr. Hopkins' great life work was complete when he devised 

 the system of agriculture which showed the way to change the habit 

 of man from soil ruin to soil building; but the development of this 

 great work, like that of the discovery by Columbus, will take cen- 

 turies. 



It is almost impossible for me to think of the Illinois system of 

 permanent agriculture without continually having in mind the per- 

 sonality of Dr. Cyril G. Hopkins, its author; and I have referred to 

 him in this paper frequently. There were others who were intimately 

 associated with him and who gave essential help in the development 

 of this soil system. Two of these were with him so long and were so 

 essential to the success of his plans that I feel I should mention them. 

 In writing this, I speak from personal knowledge of the relationship 

 existing between Dr. Hopkins and them. The first, Professor J. G. 

 Mosier, has charge of the soil survey ; and it was his skill in soil class- 

 ification and accuracy of work that achieved the reliability of the 

 survey, without which the survey would have had little value. The 

 second, Dr. Eugene Davenport, took an active and essential part in 

 the development of the Illinois system of permanent agriculture ; and 

 his influence pervaded every feature of Dr. Hopkins' work. Primarily 

 a soil student, thoroly informed in the soil literature of the day, having 

 already commenced the system of soil investigations in Illinois by 

 laying out a complete system of soil experiments at the University Ex- 

 periment Station and in the southern part of the state, Dr. Davenport 

 was eminently prepared to cooperate through the whole course of Dr. 

 Hopkins' investigations. This relationship amounted really to in- 

 terdependence and, it seems to me, was essential to the formation of 

 the Illinois system of permanent agriculture. 



Dr. Hopkins' discovery stands out as a distinct endeavor. It 

 was new, unheard of, unthought of. He was the first to call the 

 world's attention to the thought of safeguarding and making a plan 

 for the permanent food supply through the conservation of the soil. 



