The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-15
Effect of the Irrigation Act on Them
Some Mistakes in the -
West. =, 1l Z

From, Tho journal Bureau, Room, IS. Poa
Building, Woshingtof .....>..
the government to the agricultural ex-
pertinent stations has been brought to- the
front by the passage of the irrigation act.
The general revenues of the government,
instead of the, receipts from the sale of
public lands, will henceforth have to be
used for the stations, but the irrigation
lists maintain that as there is already
$500, 100000 to the credit Of the public
land account, it will take 20 years for the
experiment stations on the present. basis
to use up the money. But this is a. book
keeping surplus purely, and one that has
doubtles been utilized time and again, in
theory at least, in providing for other
enterprises. .-
There are some pecu1iarities in the ex-
pertinent stations. That at Idaho was es-
| tablished at Moscow, and that of Wash
| ington at Pullman. places within ten miles
! of each other on the two sides of the
| boundary line. The result of this is that
| two struggling institutions, for an agri-
| cultural college is connected with each
experiment station, are working side by
| side, and experimenting in climatic and
| soil conditions, which happen to be repre-
sentative of the agricultural conditions Of
neither Of the two states. Utah chose
| almost as unwisely in selecting Logan as
the site of it's agricultural college and
| experiment StdClOu. Inc are
| located on high bench land of the Cache
valley where climate and soil conditions
are In no sense typical of the state.
These are but incidental examples of the
| effect in the newer western states Of
combining politics with the control of ed
ucation In the Rocky mountain region
politics run very high, and in these in
| stitutions changes of management are
about as frequent as the changes of po-
! litical control in the respective states;
| professors and instructors see that no
I real continuity of purpose Is possible. Tt
is notable, however, that there has been
some improvement in this regard in re-
| cent years.
Much remains to be done in utilizing to
the best advantage the energy of the ex-
/ pertinent. stations; they have, as a rule,
attempted to cover the whole field of ag-
riculture, instead of specializing in local
needs. In one of the arid states, where
it might be supposed that experiments in
irrigation would absorb most of the ener-
! gy of the students, they have been in
vestigating garden crops chiefly. The ag-
| ricultural department maintains an Office
| OF experiment stations which was sup
| posed originally to cooperate with them
| merely and to publish their most i'm
portant results in such form as would
permit of rapid circulation throughout
the country. Gradually congress is add
| Ing W lltS SOVeTuulSuI OluC0 duties Oh an
advisory capacity until now the agricul-
| tural department has more or less def
mite check on the expenditure of the ex-
pertinent stations.
The agricultural college in each case IS
established by the state, usually for the
purpose of putting into effect the ideas OF
the experiment station: The government
gives $4,000 to an experiment station the
first year and increases this by $1,000
until $25,0O0 is reached, which then be-
comes permanent appropriation. Ne
wade gets as much as New York. In
several of'1the states these institutions
are maintained in connection with state
university. The agricultural colleges
maintained by the states of Massachu-
setts, New York, Minnesota and Califor-
MIA are of specially. high rank. Another
famous one is that of Iowa with which
"Tama Jim Wilson," now secretary of ag-
riculture, was so, long connected. It
was his successl there which directed at
tention to him as. suitable man for sec-
retary of agriculture. - - -. ~ =.
| :. 80 r. w. w. Jermane.