Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-25
REAL RURAL READING
WILL BE FOUND IN THIS DE.
PARTMENT.
A Striking and Instructive Feature OF Our
Country's Industrial Greatness-Selt for
the Apple Tree Borer-keeplng Eggs-
General Farm Mention.
The Department of Agriculture.


One of the most striking and in
structive features of our country'S in
dustrial greatness is the history of the
Department Of Agriculture since its
ablishment as separate depart
ment in 1852, says a writer in the
Germantown Telegraph. The NUM-
ficent gift by Congress Of eight million
acres of the public lands was fitting
inauguration Of the new era in agri-
cultural education Previous to that
time it was only known as bureau
for the distribution of the different
varieties of garden and field seeds.
There were only few employees at
that time and they were employed
mainly in the seed department. There
are many editors of papers that have
a wide circulation who still treat the
subject as though no progress of any
account had been made, and con-
tempt and derision pervades nearly
everything they write concerning it.
An examination Of the late report of
the Commissioner of Agriculture
ought to remove the prejudices from
the minds of all reasonable men.
There are over twenty separate and
distinct branches in the department
at the present time. Each branch
has it's head men, who are eminently
qualified for their especial work. All
that science achieves is spread broad
cast over the land in agricultural
papers, bulletins, and special reports,
and the humblest farmer, if he is in
telligent, can equip himself with the
latest discoveries and the best
thoughts of the age. This knowledge
does not relieve us of labor as labor
saving machines do, but it enables US
by intelligent and we'll directed labor
to accomplish our purpose by more
certain and unerring plans.
The time was when the most sue
cessful farmer seemed to possess the
maximum of muscle and the minimum
of brains. The scope and realm of
AGRICULTURAL education seems to point
plainly to an opposite state of affairs.
A few years ago when Secretary Cham
berlain, now President Of the Iowa
Agricultural College, visited the Chi
cago Fat Stock Show. he found that
nearly all the feeders and breeders of
fine stock on exhibition were familiar
with the works of Darwin. They
were pursuing their work On a scien-
tiflc basis, and were surprised at what
they could do. or course every
farmer cannot become a chemist,
botanist, an entomologist and so on,
but the Agricultural Department. and
the Experimental Stations place the
result before him in a more precise
and correct manner than he could
hope to do, even if he knew the whole
range of science The Department
leaves him to grasp the point that
fits his particular case and apply it
with long array of experiments and
illustrations for his guide. Then let
every farmer take keen interest in
the work Of the different State and
National aids to agriculture. The
day of contempt for book learning
has gone by, as is shown by the in
creased demand for Agricultural Re-
ports. The members of the different
State and National Departments
have had remarkable success in hold
ing Farmers Institutes, and the in
terest in these meetings IS mainly due
to their efforts.