104 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



other, keeping 400,000 babies alive, that is, assuming all the 

 milk goes to the babies, and not to some such anti-Hoover 

 purpose as making ice cream, soda water or milk punches. 

 Instances could be multiplied of special service somewhat simi- 

 lar to this all over the country, but time presses and I pass 

 to the main subject. 



The activities of the different railroads in contributing to 

 the agricultural development of the territory served by their 

 lines vary, not only with the different sections and localities 

 and with the character of the products raised, but also in a 

 marked degree with the individual judgments, opinions or pref- 

 erences of the different railroad managements concerned. This 

 is but natural when you realize that the work is done by rail- 

 road men who do not claim to be farmers, but who are obliged 

 to select from the many plans put forth by agricultural ex- 

 perts those best suited to their conditions and to the degree 

 of effort, personal and financial, they feel they can profitably 

 expend upon it. 



Certain railroads, such notably as the New York Central, 

 have made extensive investments in demonstration and experi- 

 mental farms located in the center of potentially rich agri- 

 cultural regions where it has been found that the farmers have 

 not availed themselves in a marked degree of the gradually 

 improved methods developed under the scientific and practical 

 direction of the United States and the State departments 

 of agriculture. These demonstration farms have undoubtedly 

 proven of great benefit to the farmers in their immediate 

 vicinity, and have gone far to inculcate a knowledge of better 

 methods of draining, seeding, spraying, cultivating and other 

 features. 



Other roads (comprising quite a large proportion of those of 

 the country) have made a very important contribution to the 

 general good by operating at frequent intervals trains specially 

 fitted up for the purpose, and accompanied by agricultural 

 experts who give at rural stations all along the line lectures 

 and demonstrations upon a great variety of subjects, such as 

 seed selection, cow testing, land clearing, liming, treatment of 

 live stock for diseases, the introduction of alfalfa, soy beans, 

 etc., and the use of farm machinery, including the newly de- 



