Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-29

ural colleges of the States national expert
ment stations, with an improved farm at
tached to each. The bill then reads:
1t shall be the object and design Of the said ma
tional experiment stations to conduct original re-
searches or verify reported experiments the
physiology OF plants and animals, the diseases to
which they severally subject, with the remedies
for the same the chemical composition OF useful
plants at their different stages of growth the com
parative advantages of rotatIve groupings as pur
sued under varying series Of crops; the capacity
of plants or trees for acclimation within the
isothermal limits reprt sented by the climate Of the
several stations and their vicinity the analysis of
soils and waters the chemical composition # ma
nures, natural or artificial, with experiments de-
signed to test their comparative values for raising
crops of different kinds {: the composition and di
gestibiity OF the different kinds OF food for cattle
the scientific and economic questions in the produ-
ton Of butter and cheese and all other researches
Of experiments bearing directly on the agricultural
industry of the United States. The said experiment
stations shall be placed under the general control OF
the Regent Trustees of said agricultural col eyes,
who shall have power to employ Professor for
each agricultural college, who shall act superin
tendent Of the experiment stations established under
this Act. The said Pr fessors shall make such reports
to the Commissioner OF Agriculture from time to time
as he may direct The general character of the work
and of the experiments to be performed at each sta
ton shall be determined by the Commissioner of
Agriculture the President of the college where the
station is located, and the Professor in charge of
said station. To each agricultural college providing
for experiment stations under this Act, to pay the
Salaries OF the Professors and Superintendent OF
the said experiment stations the wages of the labor
employed in their operations and the cost of the
experiments and researches connected with their
conduct as heretofore specified the sum OF fifteen
thousand dollars IS appropriated or SO much thereof
as may be necessary to cover expenditures actually
made for said purposes the money TO be drawn
quarterly from the Treasury Of the United States,
upon certified statement of the amounts actually
a r Y
college Board Of Audit, the Professor in charge and
the Commissioner of Agriculture Tnat upon the
passage OF the Act, before the agricultural college
in any State draw any funds as provided the
Legislature of such State shaI pass Act accept
ing such trust, and agreeing to conduct expert
ment station in accordance Herewith.
Of course no one in California will, il
the bill passes, raise the slightest objection
to bill before the next Legislature accept
ing the trust. TO do SO would prove the
objector an enemy to the best interests of
the people of this Safe. Presidents Alb.
b>tt of Michigan, Peabody of Illinois,
Chadbourn of Massachusetts, Lee of Mis-.
sissippi and Knapp of Iowa, were last year
appointed by the Convention of Agricult-
ural and Mechanical Colleges called to-
gether by Commissioner Loring. commit.
tee to have the bill outlined in charge and
to present the subject to the people.
We do not deem it necessary to advance
any extended argument in favor OF the
scheme. 1t appears to US to carry its
favor upon its face. The system of scien-
tiic exporting has been demonstrated of
the highest value in Europe. In the United
States our prosperity largely depends upon
agriculture, and upon eliminating from it
the uncertainties of production, yet we
have not given the attention necessary to
developing by the most economic methods
the facts upon which agricultural success is
dependent.
Agricultural instruction ia no part of the
common school curriculum we do not fos-
ter in youths the desire to follow agricult-
ure as pursuit we do not take steps to
inform the farmers of the facts of scientific
discovery as to their own soil, but leave
them to experiment separately and dis
family from each other, and by bitter ex-
perence learn wisdom.
We have great diversity of climate,
and so we need diversity of experimental
stations the proof as to wheat. oats, bar
ley, rye, fruit, vines, etc, in Onio will
prove OF little value in California, less in
Mississippi, and but little more in Maine
or Oregon, while for the mid con tinent
section it will be practically valueless.
We should know by local experiments
made by skilled men, just what seed is
adapted to particular section, and just
what the difference in result is of given
culture under varying conditions in widely
separated as well as nearly related natural
divisions of the country.
There is little use to distribute seeds and
plants unless it is done with intelligent |
reference to the requirements of the several !
localities and the climatic conditions of
each. The domain of experiment ia very
wide and embraces, as moments thought
will show, thousands of varieties of growth
of grain, grasses, vines, plants, roots,
herbs, fruit and ornamental trees, etc.
Experiment stations, therefore, it will be
seen, should be of several kinds, and so
located as to test the particular growth
allotted for the benefit of sections of coun-
try similarly situated. In California,
therefore, we should have at least three
stations. One for the semitropical south,
one for the central and coast valleys, and
one for the foot.hill and upland region.
These are as distinct sections in all the
elements and influences that operate to
encourage or discourage particular growth
as if separated by oceans and many de.
grees of longitude. But it is not probable
we can secure the three, except the State
itself shall establish two. But at the
furthest we should have one, and that be
so located as to advantage the greatest