204 



1879 before the National Agricultural Congress at Rochester, and in 

 which the following language was used : 



In the light of the past history of the Germau experiment stations and their 

 work, or of that in our own State of Connecticut, the expediency of purchasing art 

 experimental farm of large dimensions in the vicinity of Washington is very ques- 

 tionable. There can be no doubt, however, of the value of a good experiment 

 station there, that shall have its branches in every State of the Union. The results 

 to flow from such stations will not depend upon the number of acres at command, 

 and it will be far wiser and more economical for the Commissioner to make each 

 agricultural college that accepted the Government endowment auxiliary to the 

 national bureau, so that the experimental farm that is now, or should be, connected 

 with each of these institutions might be at its service and under the general man- 

 agement of the superintendent of the main station. There is reason to believe that 

 the directors of these colleges would cheerfully have them constituted as experi- 

 ment stations under the direction of the Department, and thus help to make it 

 really national — the head of a vast system that should ramify through all parts of 

 the land. * * * 



With the different State agricultural colleges and the State agricultural societies, 

 or boards, we have every advantage for building up a National Bureau of Agricul- 

 ture worthy of the country and its vast productive interests, and on a thoroughly 

 economical basis, such as that of Prussia for instance. 



In short, the view in mind was something in the nature of that which 

 has since been adopted by our neighbors of the Korth, where there is 

 a central or national station or farm at Ottawa and substations or 

 branch farms at Nappon, Kova Scotia, Brandon, Manitoba, Indian 

 Head, [N^orthwest Territories, and Agassiz, British Columbia, all under 

 the able direction of Mr. William Saunders, one of our esteemed fel- 

 low-workers. It was my privilege to be a good deal with Mr. Saunders 

 when he was in Europe studying the experience of other countries in 

 this matter, and the policy finally adopted in Canada as a result of his 

 labors is an eminently wise one, presenting none of the difficulties and 

 dangers which beset our plan, whether as between State and nation or 

 college and station. 



Under the present laws, and with the vast influence which the Asso- 

 ciation of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations will wield, 

 both in Congress and in the different States, there is great danger of 

 transposition in this agricultural body politic of those parts which in 

 the animal body are denominated head and tail ; and the old saw to 

 the effect that "the dog wags the tail because the tail can not wag the 

 dog" will find another application. So far as the law goes the national 

 Department, which should hold a truly national position toward State 

 agricultural institutions depending on Federal support, can do little 

 except by suggestion, whether in the line of directing plans or in any 

 way coordinating or controlling the work of the different stations 

 throughout the country. The men who influenced and shaped the leg- 

 islation which resulted in the Hatch bill were careful that the Depart- 

 ment's function should be to indicate, not to dictate; to advise and as- 

 sist, not to govern or regulate. We have, therefore, to depend on suck 



