THE IKEIGATION AGE. 



217 



names of the machines tested, is also open to debate as 

 far as this country is concerned, in view of the unfair 

 advantage that might be taken of such methods of ad- 

 vertising. There is still a wide field of usefulness open 

 to the agricultural experiment stations and the Federal 

 Government, by which they are able to substantially aid 

 both the farmers and implement manufacturers by their 

 farm machinery investigation. 



Only in recent years have the agricultural colleges 

 recognized the importance of giving instructions to their 

 students in the construction, care and operation of farm 

 implements. At the present time numerous colleges are 

 about to establish courses in Farm Mechanics. 



I have found by experience that instruction in farm 

 machinery can not be obtained by reading text-books, 

 but the students must have actual practice in erecting, 

 adjusting and operating the machines, before they un- 

 derstand the principles of construction. In order that 

 the students may judge of the merits of implements, 

 they must have practice in testing them and make com- 

 parisons. For this reason the well planned farm me- 

 chanic courses give considerable time to research work, 

 in which the students, under the direction of the in- 

 structor, experiment with the farm tools and learn their 

 merits and defects. Notwithstanding the large amount 

 of farm machinery manufactured in this country, there 

 is very little reliable information available for the stu- 

 dents and farmers who wish to become posted on the 

 machines. This is another reason why the agricultural 

 colleges should conduct investigations and collect in- 

 formation on the subject. 



The farmers of the country have become accustomed 

 to writing to the agricultural colleges and the Depart- 



ment of Agriculture for information on any subject in 

 which they are interested. In order that the questions 

 asked on farm machinery may be answered intelligently, 

 it is necessary for the men in charge of the work to 

 investigate the merits of the machine and to learn by 

 actual experiments just what the farmer should expect 

 the machine to accomplish. The information published 

 by the experiment stations on other agricultural subjects 

 is eagerly sought for by the farmers, and there is no 

 reason why information on a-gricultural machinery 

 should not prove to be of equally great value to them 

 as it has proved to be to the farmers of Europe. 



From the manufacturers' standpoint, there is no 

 way in which he can better advertise his goods than to 

 co-operate with the agricultural colleges in order that 

 the progressive future farmers may become familiar with 

 the machines. It is also quite advisable for manufac- 

 turers, when they are making any marked changes in 

 the construction of their machines or introducing new 

 machines, to have them thoroughly tested by competent 

 and disinterested men at the agricultural experiment 

 stations, who know the agricultural requirements and 

 are able to inform the manufacturers if the implements 

 are able to satisfactorily meet these requirements. 

 (To be continued.) 



Will pay for the IRRIGATION AGE 



>2.^Oone year and the PRIMER OF 

 IRRIGATION, 



GET AHEAD IN LIFE 



Own a home of your own in the States of opportunity 



MINNESOTA, NORTH AND SOUTH DAKOTA, MONTANA, 



IDAHO and WASHINGTON 



RICH LANDS AT LOW PRICES 



SPLENDID BUSINESS OPENINGS 



i 



along the lines of the 



GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY 



SPECIAL LOW RATES JUNE \ to SEPTEMBER 15 



Sixty days return limit Liberal Stopovers Write for full information and illustrated 



literature. 



MAX BASS, WON 



220 So. Clark St., CHICAGO, ILL. 



F. I. WHITNEY, 



P. T. M., ST. PAUL, MINN. 



