The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-07-17
Dr.. John a. Myers.


the West Virginia Agricultural tx
pertinent Station, DR.. John A. Myers
in face Of the fact that the inspect
ing officer Of the United States De
partment of Agriculture had just in
spected and thoroughly gone over
the accounts and work Of the Exper-
iment Station, and pronounced ey-
Ierything connected with it to be in
highly satisfactory condition and
declared it to be one Of the best or
gained and most efficient Expert
ment Stations in the country, has
justly excited surprise.
The Agricultural Experiment
Station was organized in 1887, under
the direction of DIR. Myers, who has
presided over it since and developed
it to its present high state of eff
cheney.
When he began there was nothing
to operate upon in the way of farm
or experimental grounds, nor were
there buildings, laboratories, green
houses, or any of the present equip
ments except an old brick building,
22x40 feet, used cannon shed,
which was assigned by the Board of
Regents for the use of the Expert
ment Station. The State until re-
Gently never appropriated a dollar
for the construction Of buildings,
nor has it directly provided for any
of the equipments of the Expert
ment Station. The government
funds are not allowed to be expend-
ed upon buildings in the excess of
$3.50 year, but by the judicious
utilization Of the earnings of the Elk
pertinent Station, he has been able,
with the advice and encouragement
of the former Board of Regents, to
construct at an expense of about
$4,000 the handsomest building
upon the University grounds, and to
equip it with a splendid chemical
laboratory, surpassed by few in the
United States, splendid entomolog
ical laboratory equal to any in the
country, an unsurpassed agricultur-
al and horticultural laboratory, a
botanical laboratory. and a well
equipped microscopical laboratory.
The station is also provided with an
ample scientific library of nearly
three thousand volumes, and every
facility for rapidly transacting the
business of the Station and carrying
on its volume of correspondence
with the farmers of the State which
amounts to approximately 10000
letter year. He has also been en-
abled to equip the farm, recently
purchased by State appropriation
for that purpose, with an elaborate
outfit and facilities for carrying for
ward the extensive line of agricul-
tural experiments now under way.
The scientific work covers a very
wide range of Investigations in soil
tests, the use of fertilizers of differ
ent proportions, the testing of differ
emit varieties of forage crops and new
varieties of fruits and vegetables,
the cultivation and development Of
a large amount, both in quantity and
variety, of small fruits, apples,
peaches, pears and plums. Exten-
sive series of scientific Investigations
are going forward in studying the
feeding Of pigs, and in the study of
poultry, in which this Experiment
Station probably now stands at the
head of all Stations in the United
States. The work upon poultry has
directed the attention Of poultrymen
to the Experiment Station all over
this country, from Nova Scotia to
California and from Canada to Mex
leo, and calls upon the Experiment
Station have been made for ship
ment Of eggs and stock to Nova SEQ
tia, to California, to Texas and to
Canada, and all over the country
embraced within these points. Prob
ably no Experiment Station has
ever been more fortunate in striking
a popular chord than has the West
Virginia Agricultural Experiment
Station in taking up the poultry in
dustry, which appeals to every
household possessing or having con-
troll Of as much as small back yard
Had the Experiment Station done
nothing else than take up this one
investigation, it would have doubt
less given it sufficient reputa-
ton, as expressed by a distinguish
ed Station Director from another
Station, "to allow it to rest upon it's
laurels alone for five years" But
this is only one of the more recent
investigations.
Under the policy that prevailed
under the old Board, DIR. Myers Or
ganized and developed the Farmers
Institutes in West Virginia, the
State Horticultural Society, the
State Dairymen's Association, and
rejuvenated the State Wool Grow
er's Association, all of which were
carefully nursed and looked after
until they were induced by the Board
of Agriculture to pass under it's
care, a movement which has been of
very doubtful advantage to those So
cieties.
The control of the sale of COM
mercial fertilizers in the State, I'M
der the present system, is due to the
exertions and careful powers of Or
ganization of the Director, who ar
ranged for the draft of the law, and
carefully looked after it's passage by
the Legislature. This measure has
afforded degree of protection sur
passed by few, if any, State laws in
this country, and has saved to the
formers of the State, by guarantee
ing to them genuine commercial fer
tllizers of recognized quality, many
thousands OF dollars. In addition
to that it has made the fertilizer
trade in the State reputable bust
ness, where honest dealers are pro-
tected from the false claims and
adulterated goods of unreliable
manufacturers. Space will not per-
nit us in this article to review in
detail all Of the work organized and
carried frrward to successful com
pletion, or still in progress, under
the direction of Dr. Myers. 1t COW
ers long series of Investigations in
to the creamery and dairy indus
tries; problems connected with the
preservation and protection of our
forests from the depredati on of in
sects and other pests; studies of the
most economical and best methods
of applying commercial fertilizers to
the several crops grown in the State
extensive scientific and economic in
and classification of the |