The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-26
STATE AID TO AGRICULTURE,
What Our National and State Govern
ments Are Doing for It's Promotion.
From the American Agriculturaltst.I
WESTERN STATES.

ending IN June, 1889, the total appro-
priations for promoting agriculture are
Sic, 500, of which the Agricultural
College receives $1,000, fish commits,
sion $4,000, forty local counties socie-
ties about $3.50 each, or $4,000, and
the printing of the reports of horti-
culture, agriculture and breeders So
cieties paid by the State amounts to
about $500. The State Horticultural
Society receives $4,000 regularly.
This is the entire extent of the regu-
lar aid given by the State by statute
to Iowa's agriculture. The expenses
of the State Agricultural Society, in
Guiding it's officers and premiums,
often amount to $685. 600 or $4,000,
that are provided for by the society
itself. Its fairs are usually held for
two or three years at a time In differ
emit parts of the State, the locality
furnishing grounds and buildings and
reimbursing itself by the increased
business. The fair has reached such
proportions, however, that a perma-
nent home at Des Moines was desired,
and an appropriation of $50, 1000 was
asked, the citizens of that enterprising
town agreeing to raise another $780,
900 for buildings. But the State
owns the land, and last year appro-
priated SO, 500 for improvements upon
it, but not for the society. All that
the State does for the excellent Agri-
cultural College at Ames is to provide
lands and buildings, the cost of which
for the present biennial period is
$4,000 a year. Not a dollar is given
for farmers Institutes or for the *
detrimental stations. The institute
work has been carried on by volun-
tary organization, and last winter
thirty or more meetings were held in
diferentS parts of the State, giving
great. satisfaction. The farmers feel
that at least one institute should be
held annually in each of Iowa's ninety
nine counties. 1t is not unfair for
farmers to demand this when $50, 900
is appropriated for the better support
of the State University for the edu-
cation of lawyers and doctors. The
special appropriations at the last ses-
sion of the Legislature amounted to
ever $3.50, 000, exclusive of salaries
But although agriculture pays from
three-fourths to nine-tenths of all the
State and county taxes, it gets less
than three per cent. Of this sum-.
Minnesota put $50, 900 into it's State
fair buildings in 1887, $4,000 for
county fairs, and 81, 600 for premiums
at the State fair.
For the year ended March l, 1888,
the agricultural appropriations in Mis-
souri, were $34, $50. Of this sum the
State Board of Agriculture had SIS, $50;
the Agricultural College, mostly for
building and improvements, $24, $50;
fish commission, $4,000; printing re-
ports, $4,000; expenses of State vete-
rinarian, $1,000; State Horticultural
Society, $4,000, and $1,000 more for
printing reports. There is no State
Agricultural Society, but the County
Courts are authorized to give 500 to
each county society. 1t is felt that
the State Board of Agriculture should
have more liberal means, so as to in
terest itself in a State Fair, weather
service, enlarge its crop reports, in
crease it's institute work, and in other
ways push forward the agricultural
interests of a State which is an empire
In extent and resources. Secretary
Sanborn also advocates the desirability
of placing an elementary text book of
agriculture in all the common schools.
In Kansas, the State Board of Ag-
riculture, consisting of President,
Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer
and twelve members, also includes a
delegate from each district fair asso-
citation that complies with the boards
regulations in the matter of reports.
These delegates to its annual meeting
are for the time being er-o6fficio mem
bers entitled to all the rights and
privileges of the board, and their ex-
penses in attending such meeting are
paid by the State. The secretary has
about $4,000 a year and employs two
clerks at $1,000 a year each. The
board has an Office in the capitol build
ing, and much of its work is gathering
crop statistics and reports, which as
SCISSORS have to collect on blanks fur
nished by the board, upon the system
adopted in Wisconsin and Illinois.
The statistics of each county, includ-
ing a map, are published separately in
the boards reports, and the board also
publishes monthly crop and weather
bulletins from April to October and
quarterly reports in December and
March. The effectiveness of the
boards work is much facilitated by
the fact that every agricultural society
which complies with the law in send
ing crop and other reports called for
by the board is authorized to draw
5000 annually from the treasury of
the county in which such society exists,
and this mount is not included in the