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SCIENCE. 



[Vol. II., No. 31. 



PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. — BIOLOGY. 



ADDRESS OF W. J. BEAL OF LANSING, 

 MICH., VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE 

 SECTION, AUG. 15, 18S3. 



AGRICULTURE: ITS NEEDS AND OPPOR- 

 TUNITIES. 



Instead of presenting a summary of the progress 

 made in biology during the past year, I have chosen, 

 rather, to spealj of the 'Needs and opportunities of 

 agriculture,' — a subject which has heretofore scarce- 

 ly been mentioned at the meetings of this association. 

 Within the past few years the progress of agriculture, 

 which I use iu its broadest sense, has been greater 

 than ever before. This may be attributed to a varie- 

 ty of causes; such as the general thrift and intelli- 

 gence of our people, and the advancement of science. 



Many agricultural schools have been established, 

 experiment-stations organized, the rural press has 

 been much improved iu quality and quantity, clubs 

 and societies are flourishing, and thousands of granges 

 have helped to stimulate thought and investigation. 

 Though there is much chance for improvement, the 

 U. S. department of agriculture in several of its sec- 

 tions has done excellent work. It is true, and it is 

 strange that it should be true, that, until within a 

 comparatively recent period, hut very little of the best 

 thought, even of civilized nations, has been devoted 

 to subjects intended to advance agriculture. 



Columella, eighteen hundred years ago, keenly felt 

 the want of more thought in agriculture when he 

 said, " Husbandry alone, which, without doubt, is 

 next to, and, as it were, near akin to, wisdom, is in 

 want of both masters and scholars. Of agriculture, 

 I have never known any that professed themselves 

 either teachers or students." Many of our states 

 have freely appropriated money to conduct surveys 

 in geology, mining, with a little attention given to 

 zoology and botany, not neglecting to provide liber- 

 ally for coast-surveys. 



The nation, considering its age, has also been very 

 generous with money in support of surveys of vari- 

 ous kinds, including, also, anthropology, construction 

 of lighthouses, improving rivers and harbors, inves- 

 tigating the supplies of fish, and even astronomy has 

 been generously supported. It is true that some of 

 this work performed by the government has been 

 very poorly done, and has been enormously expen- 

 sive; but the methods of work are improving. 



This munificence of the United States in support 

 of science is encouraging, and, as far as it goes, speaks 

 well for the country and our law-makers. Doubtless, 

 in many cases, the close connection with politics is one 

 great hindrance to successfully conducting investiga- 

 tions in science for the government. The chances of 

 losing positions are often too great to make them 

 desirable, especially to persons who dislike political 

 contests. Frequent changes are fatal to good, long- 

 continued work. 



Notwithstanding the large sums of money expended 



by our national and state governments in support of 

 science, but a small sum, considering its importance, 

 has been appropriated in the interest of agriculture. 

 Even private gifts have gone to endow literary col- 

 leges, schools of physical or natural science, astro- 

 nomical observatories, public libraries, and not to 

 endow something which is directly intended to en- 

 courage agriculture. The men like Lawrence, Shef- 

 field, Smithson, Peabody, Washburn, Swift, Stevens, 

 are numerous, but not numerous enough. All honor 

 to the noble names of those who have so generously 

 contributed to the advancement of science. 



To illustrate the hesitancy of men to bequeath 

 money for the promotion of agriculture, I take the 

 following from an address given by President T. C. 

 Abbot : — 



"I met a very pleasant and intelligent gentleman, 

 who, from his large wealth, was about to give some 

 sixty or seventy thousand dollars for the advance- 

 ment of higher education. He had been for some 

 years, and was still, the president of a state agricul- 

 tural society. He was a farmer. Did he then endow 

 some chair of agriculture, or agricultural chemistry, 

 of veterinary science, of horticultm'e ? Did he fit out 

 an experiment-station to analyze fertilizers, to study 

 the value of cattle-foods ? Did he establish an agri- 

 cultural library ? None of these. He found the 

 science that was the most advanced of any, the one 

 that gove.rnment supports at a great expense from 

 the public treasury. This farmer gave his thousands 

 to endow another workshop of astronomy. " 



Yet, even in respect to private endowment, there are 

 approaching signs of better days for agriculture. A 

 few far-seeing men have observed the needs of this 

 interest, and have set a noble example by giving of 

 their-wealth bounteously. Cornell, Bussey, Purdue, 

 Valentine, Storrs, in this country, are names which 

 will long be honored for liberal gifts in the interest of 

 agriculture. They showed great sagacity, and not a 

 little originality, by placing endowments in a new 

 field, where gifts are few, and the opportunities for 

 good are boundless. It is hoped that these illustrious 

 examples will stimulate others to make similar be- 

 quests. 



Where agriculture thrives, there we always find a 

 prosperous people. She needs more trtiined minds 

 to work in her interest. With better thought would 

 come great and needed improvements in the agri- 

 cultural department of the nation. It lacks means, 

 strength, and stability. 



The matter of plans, and the naming of a compe- 

 tent director of the geological survey, was referred to 

 the National academy of sciences, whose suggestions 

 the government authorities sought and adopted. 



The same body, or the standing committee of this 

 association, or the members of the Society for the 

 promotion of agricultural science, would be amply 

 competent to name a good man for commissioner of 

 agriculture. Such a plan would throw the position 

 more out of politics, and it would be more likely to 



