19 



OBJECTS AND WORK FOR THE 

 NATIONAL AOR'L CONGRESS. 



By the Secretary, GEO. E. MORROW. 



The name of this association the National Ag- 

 ricultural Congress suggests clearly two things 

 as to its nature. First, It is a national organiza- 

 tion ; not for the few, not for those of a section, 

 not for any private or personal schemes ; but 

 designed, so far as it is possible, to have its influ- 

 ence extend over all the land. Next, it is an ag- 

 ricultural association; its object is not, primarily, 

 to advance religion, to discuss politics, to engage 

 in works of charity, not any of these things, but, 

 to quote from its constitution, " Its object shall 

 be the collection and dissemination of informa- 

 tion in relation to agriculture in the several 

 states and territories, and concerning the climatic 

 economical and other conditions affecting- its 

 progress anel prosperity." 



It may also be said that in its relations to other 

 associations for the promotion of agriculture, 

 this Congress is designed to be friendly and co- 

 operative, rather than a rival or critic, and again, 

 I hope it may truthfully be said this is a modest 

 and not an assuming or arrogant body. It is not 

 claimed to be the only or the greatest instru- 

 mentality for accomplishing the end for which 

 it labors ; rather it is content to do what it can 

 for the good of the agriculture of the country, 

 rejoicing in any and every like work by what- 

 ever means it may be accomplished. 



With the limitations and qualifications there 

 still remains a marvelously wide field. We have 

 all American agriculture and not any one spec- 

 ialty in whatever relates to the cotton of the 

 South, the grain of the West, the dairy, the cat- 

 tle on the plains of Texas or the hills of New 

 England ; in whatever concerns the producer of 

 any agricultural product in his work, he may 

 properly ask the interest and aid of this associa- 

 tion. It may properly discuss the questions re- 

 lating directly to production tillage, varieties 

 of seeds and animals, fertilization, etc.; it may 

 and should go further than this and consider 

 those things which affect the distribution of ag- 

 ricultural products the great question of trans- 

 portation, with its important and complicated 

 effects on the agriculture of the different sec- 

 tions of the country, the home and foreign mar- 

 kets, tariffs ; tnese and like topics appropriately 

 may engage the thought and discussion of the 

 members of the Congress. And so the important 

 and as yet but imperfectly appreciated subject 

 of agricultural statistics how to secure their 

 more prompt, accurate and thorough collection 

 and dissemination is directly within the letter 

 and spirit of the object for which the association 

 was formed. The vital question of agricultural 

 education, and the equally important question 

 of the education of the agricalturists ; the rela- 

 tions of a host of sciences to agriculture, and 



the means of best applying their teachings ; all 

 these and other topics of stupendous importance 

 present themselves to the Congress. And lastly 

 it may properly consider questions of legislation 

 as these effect agriculture ; not in any partisan 

 spirit ; not to seek any legislation in the special 

 interest of agriculturists as a class for as the 

 farmers should oppose legislation in the special 

 interest of any other class, they should equally 

 oppose that which is offered as advancing their 

 own special interests rather than for the good of 

 all classes. But to consider and present the 

 opinion of farmers on many questions in which 

 they are vitally interested. 



For the improvement of agriculture in its re- 

 lations to the individual and to the class we need 

 two things more information and more interest. 

 To know more about it and to take more inter- 

 est in it, that we may the better make use of 

 the knowledge we have and that we may acquire. 

 In the effort to gain information, the Congress 

 should consider all the topics named in a broad, 

 national way. We should remember that the 

 steam car and the telegraph, that improved 

 means of communication and transportation 

 have largely abolished the isolation of farmers. 

 It is no longer true that those of any one section 

 can feel themselves independent of or uninter- 

 ested in the condition of those of other sections. 

 It is a serious misfortune that there should be, 

 on the part of so many connected with agricult- 

 ure, so strong a tendency to narrow-mindedness. 

 The Congress should seek to know both the ac- 

 tual and relative importance of subjects brought 

 before it. Its sessions should be no place for the 

 riding of the hobbies of narrow-minded men, to 

 whom all the world seems to revolve around 

 their little plans, interests or localities. It 

 should seek to learn all that can be learned of 

 the resources of all sections. The study of our 

 agriculture by states or sections, as has been the 

 custom in the past, is unsatisfactory, tending to 

 produce this narrow-mindedness and imperfect 

 conception of important and wide-reaching 

 questions. The Congress may furnish a common 

 meeting ground for the actual farmer, for the 

 editor, the teacher, the scientist, the leader of 

 societies connected with agriculture, and I hope 

 it may be ever said of it that it is willing and 

 anxious to hear the other side of all questions 

 that its members are not so much advocates as 

 they are seekers after the truth. 



In the development of increased interest in 

 agriculture, for which there is surely much need, 

 the members of this association may do much, 

 by showing that they are themselves interested; 

 that men of education and position think agri- 

 culture worthy to be thought about and talked 

 about, and not to be regarded as simply a disa- 

 greeable means of securing a livelihood. 



I name three, methods of work for the Con- 

 gress. First, and in some sense chief, by popular 

 meetings, usually held once a year. There is 



