THE NEW EARTH 



upon a thousand and one topics which may 

 not have any direct scientific value or interest 

 whatever. Hundreds of thousands of letters 

 are mailed annually from the stations, embody- 

 ing information which the farmer could not 

 elsewhere get, and all of it free of all expense 

 to him. The national government frequently 

 unites with the stations in cooperative experi- 

 ments. One station may have peculiar facili- 

 ties for carrying out some experiments in 

 forestry, and the national government brings 

 to bear all its powerful influence to help for- 

 ward the test ; or, it may be, the best method 

 of exterminating an insect pest, or a problem 

 in irrigation, or a demonstration of the value 

 of foods for man or beast. Often the men who 

 are in charge of special lines of investigation 

 in the stations prepare bulletins which are 

 issued by the national government. 



There is also an association of American 

 Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Sta- 

 tions which meets in annual session, where 

 papers are read and discussions held on many 

 points of interest to all who are engaged in 

 the activities of the New Earth. 



Volumes might be written concerning the 



326 



