THE PRESENT ORGANIZATION 37 



Prior to 1913, by far the greater part of the work of the 

 Department, aside from its regulatory activities, was con- 

 cerned primarily with the improvement, both in quality and 

 quantity, of crop and animal production. As the result of 

 years of careful experimentation, many notable improve- 

 ments were made in the agricultural flora and fauna of the 

 country. While a great deal of money and effort had been 

 expended in trying to raise the standard of agricultural 

 science and to better the farm products, and while, ad- 

 mittedly, very much had been accomplished in this direc- 

 tion, it was the belief of the present Secretary of Agri- 

 culture, who came into office in March, 191 3, that the greater 

 part of this vast fund of accumulated information was not 

 readily available, and consequently not utilized, largely be- 

 cause of defective methods for its proper dissemination 

 among the farmers. The betterment of methods for the 

 more effective education of those engaged directly in agri- 

 culture has been, and still is, an important part of the policy 

 of the present administration. 



Until very recent years, very little attention has been 

 given, either by federal or state institutions, to that phase of 

 agriculture which might be summed up under the head of 

 agricultural economics, or more specifically, the marketing 

 of farm products, rural credits and finance, and the organi- 

 zation of farmers and rural communities. There were many 

 persons who agreed with the present Secretary of Agricul- 

 ture that these problems had been neglected to the great 

 detriment of the agricultural interests of the country, and 

 that special attention should at once be given to their 

 solution.** 



Very largely as a result of this new attitude, and at his 

 own request, the agricultural appropriation act for the fiscal 

 year 191 5 authorized and directed the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture " to jjrepare a plan for reorganizing, redirecting, 

 and systematizing the work of the department as the inter- 



" Report of the Secretary of ARriciiltiire, 1016, p. 9. See also 

 article on " Ajtricnltural Organizutions " in Bailey's Cyclopedia of 

 American Agriculture. 



