The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-04-30

where the Leading ODJecJ snail De
70 teach such branches or learning
"a are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts was epochal, being
the first serious national effort to
aid agriculture in a practical way. AS
result of this encouragement and
federal recognition, every state has
a wellequipped agricultural and me-
chanical college training its young
rnen to solve agricultural and indus
trial problems.
II was soon discovered TIA. their
po,uner difficulty idy In Jack Of sur
flcient. definite and exact scientific
information Realization of this in
sufflciency became so manifest and
80 insistent that the Hatch act es-
tablishing agricultural experiment
stations, ito promote scientific inves
tigation and experiment respecting
the principles and applications of ag.
ricultural science" was enacted 20
years after the land-grant colleges
were authorized. Under this act ag-
ricultural NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. devoted
their energies to gathering scientific
truths and exploding harmful fa'la-
cies touching agriculture, have been
established in each of the states.
When it is remembered that only
q very small per cent of the people
cal enjoy the benefits of these insti.
trt.ons, It is evident that the system
of federal aid to agriculture is ye:
incomplete. The colleges deal with
IDEAS; the stations with facts. The
colleges teach theories of agriculture;
the stations prove good theories and
disprove bad ones" The stations
gather facts of practical and scientific
nature the colleges disseminate these
facts, but only to limited numbers in
to the total rural popula-
ton.
The committee believes that this
bill is the next logical, necessary step
to give this country the most compre.
hensive system of governmental aid
to agriculture in the world. The cen.
trail idea of the bill is to bring the
farmer. upon the farm. this informa.
ton, these scientific truths, and these
better methods of agriculture, which
the colleges and stations have been
and are gathering. Past legislation
has resulted in the accumulation o.
valuable agricultural information; this
iii proposes to disseminate 1t in the
most practical and far-reaching man
ner.
Objections can not be urged to the
bill on the theory that 1t proposes t.
commit the government to new ant
untried policy. 1t seeks only to giv'
fuller force and more complete effec
to the agencies already created b,
states are now supporting, through
their agricultural colleges, some kim
of agricultural extension departments
but, as urged before the committee
the moral effect Of the aid of the fed
eral government upon this line @
work will be of incalculable value u
further extending and promoting 1t.
The bill has received the most en-
phatic endorsement of the leading al
rlcultural thinkers Of the country, tn
rural press, influential business ass
Citations and agricultural organize
tons.
The principle Of agricultural extel
sion work, through field instructio
and demonstrations. is recognized b
every leading country of Europe, il
GLIDING the British empire, Austri
Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Hungar
Italy, Holland, Germany, Russia al
Belgium.
1t is n significant fact that 25 year
ago the agriculture of Belgium WI
in most deplorable and discoura
ing condition The wise men of II
nation, seeking remedy for this 81
uation, established a system of e
tension work in agriculture, such {
proposed in this bill, which in tn
brief period has completely revol
tionized this foundation of all indu
tries and governments, and has place
Belgium in the front rank of agi
cultural nations.
1t is likewise significant, as poiu
ed out by authorities in agricultur
work, that the farmers of Europe al
producing two and one-half to thr,
times as much per acre as America
. farmers, and this in the face of Il
i fact that European lands have bee
under civilizations for many centuri,
and were perhaps originally not
fertile as ours.
Fortunately, the conditions Of Pl