Miscellaneous, 



258 



[September, 1910. 



evidenced by the increasing attention 

 given to agricultural matters in the 

 public press and in magazines, and was 

 shown by the large attendance of city 

 people at the Land and Irrigation Ex- 

 position held in Chicago the past fall. 



At the suggestion of the State Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture in New York, 

 Prof. L, H. Bailey prepared a pamphlet 

 on the agricutural situation in that State, 

 dealing especially with the so-called aban- 

 doned lands, and advocating a survey 

 of agricultural resource. In this he 

 insisted upon a higher rating for agri- 

 culture among human occupations, and 

 urged greater faith in the land and its 

 possibilities and its utilisation to the 

 best advantage. Instead of continuing 

 to dwell on the discouraging features of 

 farming, he urged that the good side 

 should be set forth, and that " every 

 time we describe one abandoned farm 

 we ought to describe three well-occupied 

 farms." 



' The Boston Chamber of Commerce has 

 indicated a new interest in Agriculture 

 by the appointment of a permanent 

 committee on that subject, and has issu- 

 ed a very optimistic report upon the 

 future of the New England farm. It 

 states that interest is awakening in 

 various branches of agriculture and in 

 the development and better adaptation 

 of lauds, and that the indications point 

 to a remarkable development of the 

 agricultural industry all over New 

 England. 



The interest of the railroads in the 

 promotion of agriculture has been ex- 

 emplified in various ways— by the oper- 

 ation of trains over its lines for institute 

 work, the giving of prizes and scholar- 

 ships in agricultural colleges, and by 

 other means. Recently the president 

 of a large railway system in the East 

 has announced the policy of establishing 

 several demonstration farms to indicate 

 what can be done with a reasonable ex- 

 penditure and intelligent management 

 to yield a good living on lands now 

 largely out of commission. The road 

 has purchased a run-down farm for that 

 purpose and plans to buy two others in 

 the near future. As these farms are 

 brought up they will be offered for sale 

 and others purchased. Another road 

 has proposed to purchase one or more 

 run-down farms in New York State, to 

 be turned over to the state department 

 of agriculture or the colleges having 

 courses in agriculture, for the purpose 

 of demonstrating improved farm practice 

 and showing the opportunites in such 

 land, 



A similar departure has been made by 

 another railroad system in the East, 

 which, in addition to demonstrating the 

 renovation and utilisation of farm land, 

 will aid in the promotion of agriculture 

 by institute work, exhibits, and in other 

 ways- In neither case has the railroad 

 large areas of land to dispose of, as some 

 of the western roads have, but the move- 

 ment is prompted by a faith in agri- 

 culture and a belief in the greater utili- 

 sation of farmlands. 



These and many other things point to 

 a widespread revival of interest in the 

 agricultural industry, which is being 

 furthered by various agencies. Econo- 

 mic and sociological studies are recog 

 nised as among the most important to 

 the present development of the business 

 of farming and the conditions under 

 which it is carried on. A great field is 

 here represented, which has only just 

 begun to be occupied, and is not yet 

 fully blocked out. It offers large oppor- 

 tunity for extending the usefulness and 

 influence of the agricultural colleges 

 and the department which preside over 

 the agricultural interests of the State. 

 Development along these channels seems 

 at the present time especially opportune. 



EXTRACTS FROM THE INAUGURAL 

 ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR-GENERAL 

 WILLIAM CAMERON FORBES. 



(From the Philippine Agricultural 

 Revieiv, Vol. III., No. 2, February, 1910). 



Our Purpose. 



Analysing the instructions of Presi- 

 dent McKinley, we may fairly take as 

 the goal toward which we are to steer 

 the happiness, peace and prosperity of 

 Philippine people. In so tar as the 

 people are to-day happy, peaceful, and 

 prosperous, we have succeeded; in so 

 far as the people do not enjoy these 

 blessings, we have not yet achieved suc- 

 cess. The people are to-day peaceful. 

 We can concentrate our attention on 

 bringing them prosperity, secure in the 

 belief that under just and equitable 

 laws, under a wise and firm government, 

 with that freedom of thought, ot speech, 

 of worship, of labour, and opportunity 

 which now prevail, happiness will not 

 be found far away when the means 

 of procuring it are abundantly at hand. 



Here is a climate particularly favour- 

 able for some classes of products and 

 capable oF yielding vast returns to 

 honest and intelligent expenditure ot 

 effort, and yet here we have a, people 

 bemoaning their poverty and living 



