May, 1910,1 



438 



Miscellaneous. 



blue, red and yellow, first, second and 

 third in the order named. The prizes 

 other than these were from one to five 

 dollars in cash. 



DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 

 AND THEIR FUNCTIONS. 



(From the Agricultural News, Vol. VIII., 

 No. 179, March, 1909.) 



The functions of Departments of Agri- 

 culture are numerous and varied ; it is 

 desirable, therefore, from time to time, 

 to review them in order to ensure that 

 all are properly exercised. 



Some of the chief functions of a Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture are to collect the 

 results of experimental work that is in 

 progress at the stations under its control, 

 to keep in touch with investigations 

 carried on elsewhere, and to include in 

 its organization suitable means for 

 diffusing the knowledge thus accumu- 

 lated. 



The last named point is most import- 

 ant in agricultural work, and more 

 especially in regard to tropical agri- 

 culture. The great diversity of the 

 whole subject, and the fact that a 

 good deal of knowledge has been placed 

 on record which, however, is not yet 

 accessible in text-book form, but is 

 scattered in different journals and other 

 publications, together with the further 

 fact that the fund of information is 

 constantly being added to, all combine 

 to make the collection and diffusion of 

 results a very prominent part of the 

 work of an Agricultural Department. 

 It is not enough that the knowledge 

 exists, it must be made available to those 

 whom it most concerns, and every effort 

 made to adapt it to local conditions. 

 The men most interested— planters and 

 farmers — are frequently too busy or un- 

 able to hunt up required information 

 from out-of-the-way sources, hence the 

 value of a central agricultural office, 

 with its organized sub-stations and staff 

 of officers, which recognizes as a chief 

 part of its duty the necessity to indicate 

 where facts needed are to be found, and 

 to make them easy of access to all. 



A planter working alone encounters 

 many difficulties and stumbles upon 

 many problems interesting or perplex- 

 ing, he may expend much time, thought 

 and energy upon these, he may even 

 experiment and alter his methods of 

 working as the result of these efforts. 

 All this is time-consuming and the re- 

 sults are uncertain. If he is in touch 

 with a well- equipped Department he can 

 at the outset explain his difficulties or 

 views, he can then learn whether these 



points have already received attention, 

 either in his own neighbourhood or else- 

 where, and his line of action can be 

 directed by the information thus made 

 available, Should his difficulties or 

 views be new, he can have laid before 

 him the general principles underlying 

 the questions at issue, and his thoughts, 

 experiments, and work can be directed 

 in right channels. Erroneous ideas will 

 be eliminated and sound ones encour- 

 aged, and thus the departmental assist- 

 ance may make for continuous progress 

 with the minimum waste of energy. 



The usefulness of agricultural experi- 

 ment work cannot be lightly estimated, 

 since by its means the stock of definite 

 knowledge is increased, but it may 

 safely be stated that much of the value 

 of this work would be lost, were it not 

 for the continued existence of central 

 Agricultural Departments and the organ- 

 ized staff of officers at the outlying 

 stations, whose duties keep them in 

 touch with the work of planters all the 

 year round. It is not enough to issue 

 periodical reports on the results of experi- 

 mental work. Planters seldom assimi- 

 late all that appears in the reports 

 brought before their notice, even when 

 these deal with their own subject ; they 

 may, it is true, read such publications 

 carefully, but the points picked up in 

 this reading appeal to the mind accord- 

 ing to the particular work in hand at 

 the time, or the bent of the mind at the 

 moment. As a result, much valuable 

 information that is contained in reports 

 and occasional papers is often passed 

 over and forgotten, simply because it is 

 not immediately applicable. 



The facts would be noted as being use- 

 ful if read at a seasonable time, or when 

 the subject in question was occupying 

 the mind of the reader ; but under other 

 circumstances no impression is made 

 and the results of the experimental 

 work are in danger of being lost. 



It is, however, the function of an 

 Agricultural Department, not only to 

 carry out experiments but to use 

 every effort to see that the results are 

 applied by the planters concerned. The 

 points elucidated therefrom are again 

 brought to the notice of the planter by 

 officers of the department, and empha- 

 size at the time when the work in ques- 

 tion is calculated to be of value, or its 

 application appears opportune. Indeed, 

 planters themselves rely on the depart- 

 mental officers to point out the appli- 

 cation of the latest experimental re- 

 sults, and to be ready to give specific 

 information if asked for it, and progress 

 is probably largely determined by the 



