Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-09-27
THE DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE.

1!Ele New York lTo5'ld reports tile follow
isg paper, ,fi'ead by Conrad Wilson, Before
the Atnerican Institu ute Farmers Club: i'S''
There Is probably no country in the world
Where the government has more ample IA
ciltics or more urgent motives for Develop
ing its agricultural 'reso,ii'ccs and promoting
/ the prosperity Of its farmers, than the gov
| ernment OF this country. How tar these OPP
| portunilies and possibilities that belong to-
our husbandry, have hitherto been improved,
SOFAS to secnre to QUIZ country the full meas
ure ofits natural a lyantages, is a question OF
some Importance and one that is always ill
order But without dwelling at present on
the former policy Of the government, or ill
tending to dismrage whatever good has been
achieved in the past, my present purpose is
smplysto draw attention tOa subject ofmtsch
interest1by Offering one or two suggestions
in the future. 1t is easy to see that some i'm
portant objects and purposes relating to the
farming interest have hitherto been omitted
from the plans of the Department. of Agri-
culture, which might be included With great
advantage, and which if fembr;tced inlthe pros
gramme of the future, Woull add d2lasigely to-
tue results Of our litlsbanqry, and swell the
resources of the nation. a99q nasQ cYGa a.iG.
/, 1t is now generally admitted and is every
day clearer to. thoughtful men, that arricul-
turc is not only by farthe largest Of our liz
| tlustlies, but what ismore important, that
its results are boundMp in natural laws, and
that these laws arc to be explored and re-
,,ainlv ,aaay,c ,,f
! p6rinients. Such experiments, whether coli
I Quoted by the chemist i'll his laboratory or
by the farmer in his field, it i,ltelligently
4 planned and eNecuted never f:,if TO Yield
/ faithful results even ON the first trial. though
| their value is of course increased by subse-
4 quent repetition. ei5 if 2ho1 3t7" a99Hfai
L So rapidly has this subject grown into inn
pportance thatjtlre whole science OF iagricul-
ture seems 10 he resolving itself into a sci
I ence of experimental processes, and it may
safelybeIpredictedtt that whenever these pro-
cesses are finally reduced1to ii complete sys-
tenn. the uncertainties, Of farming will grad
ually disappear, the average yield tor the
whole country will be vastly augmented and
the cost of production correspondingly re-
duced. Is it not, then clear that this new
and growing interest everywhere, manifes-s
ted, in relation to experimental farming,
should be promptly. recognized and turned
/ to account by the Department Of Agricul-
ture? TO do this would be to give to Amer
jean husbanlry y new and valuable impulse
at the very period Of its entry upon fa1newf
and hopeful century. .q...,.rti., .td .4aa au
4. If such policy as this We're adopted by
the government it could be made to secure
for the whole country most OF the benefits
thus realized by the experiment stations, Of
Germany, without the necessity of reprodu-
! cling their system, and at u less relative OUT
llay. 10 my own mind it is clear that it. is
1entirely possible for the Department of Ag7
riculture by the relation that it holds to the
4 husbandry of the country and the far farmers as
a class, to- ina,,girate such series, and yal'-
!. ETY. Of experiments as woAld more than JUS
E,tity the Undertaking, by yielding larger to-
}, tal Of results, at less rate Of cost and with
in less time, than any regular station has
!. ever yet accomplished. a.ff ssfIfH;.rtog
! 1t will hardly bedenied that such a course,
if adopted. would have the, effeit Of interest
}, inc. stimulating, and i'll some measlre edu-
eating The great mass Of American M farmers.
[ Wiaen influances are brought to ,beax. upon
masses of men the results are likely to befin
! the same proportion. Experiments repfostas
J, from coNesc fasm in Kansas or C;lifor ssis%