River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-01-01
The Science of Agriculture.

shalt thou eat bread" NeCeSSlt'
has compelled men to till the sol
for sustenance. Relying upon tn
promise that "seed time and harves
shall not fall" man has sowed, reap
ed and enjoyed the product of hi
labor through the centuries, benefit
ting himself by his work and pos
terity by experiments. Gradually
men have ascertained the capabilities
of soil, seed, season and climate, un
til the knowledge gained can be
formulated into a science-the sci.
ence of agriculture.
| BY reading the Report of the
Secretary of Agriculture, recently
published, one is astonished to see
what has been accomplished in the
science of agriculture within gen
Grafton by the fostering power of the
general and state governments. Not
until within a few years past could
it be Justly said that a science OF
agriculture existed. The science is
not yet perfected, but we'll defined
lines of investigation are established
and vast amount of practical
knowledge is already wrought out
along these various lines.
A science of agriculture was made
probable when in 1862 Congress
made provision for schools of agri-
culture. In that year Senator Nor
ril of Vermont proposed bill which
provided that each state should re-
ceive 10000 acres of government
land for each senator and representa-
tive, the proceeds to be applied to the
"endowment, support and mainten-
ance of colleges to teach agriculture
and the mechanic arts" When this
bill became a law there were 81
states with representation in Con-
gress amounting to 2o4, consequent
ly the states received $4,000 acres
of government land, the proceeds of
which were to be devoted to educa-
ton in agriculture. Wisconsin re-
ceived 100000 acres.
After the close of the civil war the
states began to establish these schools
as the funds from the sale of the
lands became available. The total
fund received from the proceeds of
the lands sold was over $Io,ooo,ooo
and 100000 acres of land yet re-
main unsold. An act was passed by
Congress in 1890 to further assist
the agricultural schools in the states.
This act gives to each state for aid
in instruction in these schools $25,-
600 a year. AT this time the annual
income for the support of these
schools is over $o,ooo,ooo.
To these acts making financial
provision for the establishment and
support of agricultural schools Con
gress has frequently legislated to
make the work of the state schools
more effective and general. In 1890
the Department of Agriculture was
created, the Secretary of which was
made a member of the Presidents
Cabinet. This department of the
government is doing great deal of
work in securing, formulating and
disseminating the knowledge that is
of most practical value to agricul-
turists. Under the direction of the
Department of Agriculture are vari-
Gus bureaus, as the weather bureau,
bureau of animal industry, bureau of
plant industry, bureau of soils, bu-
reau of chemistry, bureau of forestry
and the office of experiment stations.
Experiment stations are established
in all the states and in Alaska, Porto
Rico and the Philippines. These
are conducted with reference to the
special needs of the localities in
which they are situated. These, in
connection with the agricultural
colleges, the county schools of agri-
culture and the farmers institutes
are of incalculable benefit to farmers
even in this early stage of the science
of agriculture. In the support o.
national experiment stations of agri'
culture Congress appropriates $780,,
600 annually. Much of the knowl
edge obtained in the lines under con
sideration is printed and disseminated
by the mails to those whom the
Department of Agriculture was es
tablished to benefit. 1t issues annu
ally nearly 1000 different books anc
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