33 



EXPERIMENTAL AND DEMONSTRATION STATIONS 



A sharp distinction has not yet been made between experi- 

 mental and demonstration work in the Philippines. While the 

 Islands afford an unusually large variety of conditions of soil 

 and climate, yet the agriculture of the Islands, with a few im- 

 portant exceptions, is comparatively uniform. One central ex- 

 periment station, therefore, is sufficient for all the Philippines 

 for the present, with special work conducted by the station in the 

 regions where the special crops are highly developed, such, for 

 example, as tobacco work in the Cagayan Valley and sugar work 

 in the Island of Negros. 



Demonstration and test stations are means of testing the 

 adaptability of crops and methods to the conditions of a locality, 

 or of bringing to the attention of the people what has already 

 been learned elsewhere. As rapidly as funds will permit, one 

 demonstration station should be established in each province and 

 in each subprovince. If each province or each subprovince as- 

 sists in the support of the station, local interest will be quickened 

 and a local check will be placed upon the expenditure of the 

 funds. 



In addition to these central test and demonstration stations, 

 the Bureau of Agriculture should be provided with the funds 

 necessary to carry on many demonstrations in cooperation with 

 municipalities and with individuals. Crops and methods that 

 succeed well on the village test grounds are quickly adopted into 

 the farm practice of the community. 



DISSEMINATING AGRICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE 



It has often been found as difficult to carry agricultural knowl- 

 edge to the people in such form as to arrest their attention and 

 compel them to adopt its teachings as it has been to create such 

 knowledge. The means of reaching the farmer are limited and 

 difficult in any country, and they are especially so in the Phil- 

 ippines. The pupils of the public schools, the demonstration 

 agents, and cooperators are the most effective publicity agents 

 available to the Government, but they alone will fall far short of 

 fully meeting the needs of the people. The demonstration agents 

 come in contact with only a small part of the people and the 

 school children are capable of carrying home to their parents 

 only the most elementary lessons. 



Placards, showing in a striking way the important results of 

 experiments and demonstrations should be posted in the schools, 

 post offices, municipal buildings, railway stations, and other 



