The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-09
WORK OF The EXPERIMENTAL STATION
BROAD SCIENTIFIC BASIS ESTABLISHED

An idea of what work is being car
ried on at the Experiment station may
be secured from the following resume
of an article by Dean Carlyle, printed
in the Idaho Student Farmer.
Agriculture must necessarily always
remain an experimental science, while
it is natural for humanity to crave ex-
act and positive knowledge and infor
nation about any subject of national
yet there are so many and so
varied condition surrounding the
growing of crops and the feeding and
rearing Of animals that it must ever
be that the individual will have to ad
just certain definite and more or less
broad principles to his own particular
methods of cultivating his soil, grow.
ing his crops, and managing his live
stock,
In general broad, scientific basis
for this most complicated science
should be established. In the older
agricultural countries of the world
this was secured by long years of pa
tient study and personal experimental
ton on the part of the farmers them
selves. In the United States this
work has been undertaken by the peo-
pie as whole acting through the ma
tional and state governments and by
means of our so-called Experiment
Stations, founded and carried on for
the purpose of obtaining and dissent
mating information that will aid the
practical farmer in solving his many
and perplexing problems.
Historical.
The first work of organized scien,
tifc agricultural experimentation was
begun by private enterprise in 1843
when the Laws and Gilbert Expert
ment Farm was established by Sir
John Laws on his estate at Rotham
sted about forty miles from London
England.
The First Agricultural Experimen-
tation in the United States was estab
lished at Middleton, Connecticut in
1875, where Prof. w. o. Atwater was
so successful in this work that others
were soon established In 1880 there
were four in operation, and in 1887
when the Hatch Act was passed by
Congress, appropriating $4,000 an.
nually to each state and territory
there were seventeen stations in oper'
alton, Under the bene6cent inhu
ences of this wise act, the citizens O
every state and territory quickly avail
ed themselves of its benefits so tina
in 1892 there were ffty-three, more o.
less fully equipped experiment sta
| tons.
The Idaho Experiment Station wa
established, and the appropriation o
fifteen thousand dollars annually mad,
available by enactment of the stat
| legislature in the year 1892. Thi
money, which has been Designate
"The Hatch Fund" has been utilized
by the station from that time to TIL
present.
In the year 1906 Congress passe,
what is known as the Adams Act
appropriating FIVE thousand dollar
annually to each state and territory
for the purpose of providing funds TO
the carrying on especially of scientifl
research along agricultural lines. Thi
sum, according to the act, was to b
increased annually by two thousan
dollars until the total amount apprc
priated to each state and territor
should reach the sum of fifteen tho,
sand dollars, which is the amour
available this year. This fund, no
known as "The Adams Fund.-" is r.
stricted under the supervision of tt
United States Department of Ayr
culture to strictly research work, an
may not be used for executive {
demonstration purposes, nor to Il
publishing of bulletins, improvement
or general expenses of the station.
: The state of Idaho is one of Il
very few states in the Union that h
not aided materially in carrying {
the work of its Agricultural Expel
ment Station by direct appropriate
. 1t is true that the last legislature a
. propriated eight thousand dollars
Q provide for the equipment and mai
3. tenance for two years of auxilia
Q substances in various parts of
y state, but until the present, the sta
has done nothing to further the VIC
of the central station at Mosco
At present the state is conducting
9 sub stations at Caldwell, in Cany
county; one at Gooding, in Linc'
+ county; and one at GLADSTONE, in b
ner County.