The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-04-14
ITS HISTORY
And ITS WORK.
ADDRESS OF THE DIRECTOR
OF the Experiment Station Be-
fore the Farmers.

or the Experiment Station Be-
fore the Farmers.
Its Foundation and its Work From
the Beginning.
One of the Most Important Institu-
tions of the State---Its Work is Tell
ing and Will add Millions to the
Wealth of our State---Its Manage
ment has been Very Successful
The Whole Matter in a Nutshell.
The West Virginia Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station was organized under
the provisions of the Act of Congress
approved in 1887, but not going into
force effectively until 1888 owing to
some ambiguity in the law, appropri-
ating SIS, 600 year for the mainten-
ance thereof The Board of Regents
at their meeting in June 1888 defined
policy they wished pursued, appro-
priated the funds for the execution of
their measures, elected director, and
placed the details Of the execution of
their policy in the hands of an execu-
tive committee. This committee was
confronted by the fact that the State
had never provided its Agricultural
College with a farm, or with any spe-
cial equipments for carrying on agri-
cultural instruction. 1t was necessary
in beginning the work of the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station to start at
the foundation. The Board of Re-
gents assigned for its use an old ar
mory building in front of which was
erected large brick structure as the
limited funds allowed out of the con-
gressional appropriation for that pur-
pose would permit The State of
West Virginia has never directly given
a dollar for the support of the Agri-
cultural Experiment Station, and the
only aid that it secures from the State
is the printing of its bulletins and an
nual reports. This institution, there
fore, comes to the State the gift of the
government, and does not cost the tax
payers of the State, directly, a single
penny outside of the small amount
necessary for doing the printing, and
every effort to drag the Experiment
Station into State politics should be
abortive for the reason that the State
has only accepted the munificent gift
of the government, and permitted the
work of the Experiment Station to be
carried on within its borders.
As | said before, we had to begin at
the foundation. Buildings had to
be erected; apparatus and material as
sembled; the work Of the several de-
partments organized and the Station
Staff selected and appointed, so that
little could be expected for the first
two years besides the solution Of the
difficulties connected with the organ
ization of the Station. We, however,
made beginning and undertook such
work as seemed feasible where we had
neither buildings to work in, laDGra-
tory apparatus to work with, OF a
farm for experimental purposes to op-
crate upon. The Board was confront
ed by a big problem complicated by
infexible congressional legislation,
which prevented the Board from util-
izing the funds to the best advantage
at first, and the lack of other resour-
ces, from accomplishing what doubt
less they would like to have done and
what was eminently proper to do, but
which was impossible owing to the
prevailing conditions.
The Board of Regents and the Di-
rector may have been criticised in some
cases quite vigorously for failing to
undertake the same work that was
undertaken at other institutions
where the conditions prevailing in this
State did not exist, and where faciii-
ties were provided by the States for
the early perfection and the organiza-
tion of the work. 1t is far easier to
criticise and find fault than it is to
overcome difficulties, solve new prob
lens and complete an organization for
scientific and practical work without
the resources wherewith to accomplish
! it. Suffice it to say, that all the diff
culties, except the one due to the lack
of farm for experimental purposes,
have been largely overcome, and this
would have been, could the legislature
have been induced to see the advanta-
ges that would accrue to the State by
making proper provisions for carrying
on the work.
The organization forced upon the
Board by the weight Of circumstances
was different from that existing in
many other States, for the reason that
it was impossible to carry out the sys-
TEN of experimental work undertaken
at many of the other Stations. am,
however, of the opinion that the State
has not suffered, nor have the results
of the Investigations carried on been
any less important for the reason that
they were somewhat different from the
usual lines.
The most important investigation
conducted in the first three years of
the Stations life related to the devel-
opment of the creamery industry. The
Station very quickly assumed leading
position among the stations of the
country in this line of work. Our
Board of Regents were divided upon
the ACCESSIBILITY of this line of inyesti-
CATION: some of them considered it as
not SO important as Others, and some
radically opposed it for the reason that
they considered if impracticable.
Since this work was undertaken. the
Stations of Wisconsin. Iowa. Indiana.
N. York. Pennsylvania. N. HAMPSHIRE,