B74 HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 
When we take up work at the agricultural colleges and experiment 
stations, they find that there is not in this country at hand the data 
on which to base the courses of instruction and that there have been 
no systematic investigations of the problems relating to farm 
machinery. 
What we would like to do is to help the agricultural colleges and 
experiment stations along this line just as we have been helping them 
in other lines; and so we have asked that the title of the appropria- 
tion shall be changed so as to read ‘‘ Irrigation and agricultural engi- 
neering,” and that the wording of the act shall be such as to permit’ 
us to extend our investigations along that line. 
The Cuarrman. What investigation do you make with regard to 
agricultural machinery? We had this up last year, you remember, 
and I took the ground that if the Government was going into that sort 
of thing of course it would naturally lead toa recommendation. It 
would be of no benefit unless you recommended finally some plow, 
or some cultivator, or other machine that was superior to all others. 
Then where are you, if the Government is going into that business? 
Doctor Trux. That is not the kind of work we propose to do. 
The CHarrman. Would it not lead to that inevitably ? 
Doctor Trur. Ithink not. Investigations along these same lines are 
being conducted in the European governments. The German Govern- 
ment is helping the German manufacturers to-day to devise special 
forms of machinery for use in Germany, so as to keep out the Ameri- 
can machines which are getting in to a considerable extent. The 
French Government has maintained in the city of Paris for a con- 
siderable number of years an experiment station wholly devoted to the 
study of farm machinery, endeavoring to determine the correct prin- 
ciples on which machinery should be made; not to make particular 
machines and put them on the market, but to study the problems con- 
nected with the making of machinés in a more general way; and I do 
not see that there is any difficulty in the colleges and stations marking 
out a useful line of work in this direction, as they have. in other 
directions. 
What we propose to do first is indicated in the report of the Office of 
Experiment Stations. That is, we would like to collect and publish 
information in regard to the evolution and character and the uses of 
farm implements and machinery. 
The CHarrman. You are still addressing yourself, then, to the irri- 
gation item? 
Doctor Tru. The irrigation item; yes, sir. That knowledge does 
not exist at present in this country. 
ee Cuarrman. Why should that thing come under the irrigation 
item ? 
Doctor Trur. It comes under the irrigation item if that item is 
broadened to read ‘‘ irrigation and agricultural engineering.” 
Mr. Burueson. Is that what that is intended for—irrigation and 
agricultural engineering? 1 thought it was intended to embrace the 
system of aes , 
Doctor Truz. Well, it does. The term “agricultural engineering” 
embraces drainage and irrigation—the whole thing. If you wipe out 
“irrigation” it will leave it “agricultural engineering.” We would 
not object to that. 
