The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31
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US3$h southeast from Indiana. lies a
farm unique in its character and
purpose. II is the Epitomist Experiment
Station. model farm. and the home of an
agricultural paper. the only agricultural
paper in the country that is edited and pub
lished on a farm.
A new company has just been formed to
take over the farm and paper, and conduct
both on an enlarged scale in the future.
Capitalized at 10000. the new company
IS Differed at follows: President, E. Chubb
Fuller. OF Spencer; vice president. DR..
Franklin w. Hayes. OF indianapolis; sec
rotary. Duane w. Beach, of Spencer;
treasurer, Charles E. Coffin. of Indianap-
oils; directors, Mr.. Fuller, Mr.. Beach, Mr..
Hays. Mr.. Coffin: Charles Downing. of
Greenfield. secretary of the Indiana State
Board OF Agriculture; Frank W. Hecht, of
Chicago, and Thomas Taggart. of Indian
apoIis.
Twelve years ago Mr.. Fuller purchased
the Agricultural Epltomist which was at
that time published in this city. He con-
tinued the publication here until 1900, when
he conceived the idea OF publishing farm
paper on a farm. altogether a departure,
and secured the farm in Owen county, now
known as the Epitomist Experiment Sta
ton. The move was in itself largely an
experiment at frst-perhaps that was the
original reason that the farm was called an
experiment station"-but the venture IS
now said to be beyond the experimental
stage. and the farm is now entitled to rec
ognition as an agricultural experiment sta
ton. recognition which 1t has recently re-
ceived from James Wilson. secretary of
agriculture. at Washington, d. c.
The farm is place OF beauty, and is read
sly seen from the panoramic view of the
more attractive portion as well as place
for agricultural work. There is no de-
partment of general farm work TO which it
Is not admirably adapted. 1t affords oppor-
tunity for experimental work in unlimited
variety. There are hills that furnish past
ure for cattle, while in the bottoms all
farm crops attain their greatest perfection.
The tract embraces $50 acres.
The idea underlying the experiment sta
ton is that the intelligent farmer. the man
who makes business OF farming, is con-
stantly looking for better methods-meth-
DDS that will yield him greater profit with
less waste and less labor. He wants 10
count upon results with greater certainty
than in the past. He does not want to be
wholly dependent upon the caprices of
nature, but wants TO bring science TO the
aid of nature-to make two blades of grass
grow where but one grew before. Thus it is
the purpose of the station TO reduce agri-
cultural science TO a practical, wOrk-a-day
basis. TO convert it from theory to an
actual economic fact.
II is n fact that few men can do all
things equally well. The inventor. for ex-
ample. can dream out mechanical prin-
ciple. and can work out a crude machine
for applying the principle. but in a vast
majority of cases. almost invariably in fact
cold. matter-of-fact hard-headcd bust
ness man is needed to rebuild the machine
so that 1t may be manufactured and operat-
ed upon an economical basis.
The same thing holds true of agricultural
science The agricultural colleges and the
government experiment stations are doing
a great work-all in most cases that the
most captious critic could require of them
the national Department of Agriculture
under the efficient direction of such men as
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson. is making
and saving thousands OF dollars for the
American farmer every year. but great as
are their facilities-in fact. because of their
exceptional facilities and the financial sup
port they receive from government sources
they are not as close to the everyday farm.
er as science must be brought.
The Owen county farm is to form the con.
Meeting link between the farmer and the
government stations OF this country and
abroad. and make practical the theorie:
they evolve and the discoveries they make
A farm OF go acres with rich. low-lyinl
bottom lands, second bottom and uplands
with fertile meadows and worked-ou
"sour'' soils; with hills and valleys; with
heavy timber lands and acres of under
brush: with perpetual springs and never
falling brooks: with marsh that calls fol
drainage. and tracts that demand irriga
ton; with soils of every variety found il
the State; with a salubrious climate par
taking of the extremes found in both the
North and South, the experiment station
seems designed by nature for the just pur
pose 10 which 1t has been put. In purchas
Ing this farm IL was not the idea to secure
model farm'-a show place'-but
farm upon which hard work was needed.
farm upon which TO demonstrate wha
scientific agriculture can do under advers,