Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-14
New Department at Ames Commended
BY High Authority viii be Follow
ed by Colleges Of Great Britain.

= -. ~ + Z
Professor Curtiss, Dean Of the
Division Of Agriculture Of the iowa
State College, is in receipt Of the
following letter from Elwood Mead,
ilregation engineer for the TT s..
Department. Of Agriculture, relative
to the new department Of Farm
Mechanics at Ames.
have been very much interested
in what | have heard about yournew
building for the study Of farm ma
chinery and farm engineering. / be-
lieye this: will soon be regarded as
one OF the most useful and promis-
ing lines Of agricultural education in
this country This belief was streng-
thened by what Iisaw in Europe. In
Germany, where they cut their grain
with a cradle and their grass with a
scythe, they are paying more atten-
tion to the proper construction of
agricultural machines than we. are,
where this has SO much to do with
our success There is no such mu.
scum Of agricultural machinery in
this country as in the Agricultural
High School at Berlin. While in Eng
land, ] talked with a number of pro-
fessors in agricultural colleges and
in every case found that thay are
preparing to do what you have be-
gun. They are doing this because
they realize that they must use more
machinery and because they find
that the young men who dig drains.
build bitches, lay out farms, and
construct buildings have opportuni-
ties for lucrative employment in
Africa and Australia which are not
open to the graduates of any other
branch of agricultural education.
We have been made to realize re-
Gently the importance'of this work
by the requests coming to us for ad-
yice-egarding farm drainage. Mr..
Elliott, our expert, is now in your
state and l believe is working in CO.
operation with you. / know tits his
purpose todeliyer some talks to your
classes, but do not know the exact
time. Whatever we do, we want to
do in connection with the college
and station and have it understood
by the people of the state that it is
cooperative effort.
l was much interested in what
Professor Zintheo was doing up in
Dakota and am glad he is ina field
where his interest and energy can
have opportunity
Sincerely yours, Elwood Mead,
Chief Of Irrigation Investigations,
The building referred to is the
new fire proof four story building
now being finished for instruction
and investigation in Farm Mechan-
les and Agricultural Engineering.
This department promises to be de-
cidedly popular and Of great service
to the agricultural interest of the
state. 1owa's investment in farm ma
chinery is greater than that Of any
other state in the Union and the
Farm Mechanics department. Of the
college and Experiment Station has
already inaugurated some lines of
investigation that are sure to result
ina great saving as well as greater
efficiency and better results in the
use Of agricultural Implements and
machinery
The statistics Of the U. S. Depart
ment Of Agriculture show that in
1880 it required l7aacents worth of
labor to prodsse a bushel of wheat.
In 1896, this was reduced to 81
cents. In 1850, the time representing
the production of bushel Of corn
was a hours. In 1900, it was reduc-
ed to 81 minutes. This saving was
largely brought about by the intro
duction and use Of improved farm
machinery