The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-16


that comes I. ON antagonism and du-
plication IS criminal The average
State college OF agriculture can render
It's best service through research and
! tn4I-rY- I1t.l- the- needA- Of its cn11aInnnA
ity. through the successful operation
OF short courses, and above all
through aggressive and active service
10 the aduit farming population II Is
of the greatest urgency that all the
Agricultural agencies Of the nation
shall put their heads together and
coordinate their activities. Unques-
tiQnahiy in the past there has been
much useless duplication Of effort, no
.itfie waste Of money and urergv. and
10 IHE'ousiderabts amount Of hostility
and friction.
One Of the most gratifying devel-
npments of recent years has been the
clear recognition Of the evils growing
out of lack of systematic planning and
CO oy5inatipn of effort AMI the State
colleges OF agriculture. the federal
department, and congress. are deter
mined to eliminate them.
Secretary Houston then reviewed
briefly the many and varied activi-
ties of the department, which he said
would astourd those who consider It
an agency for the distribution Of gar
den seeds
MT. HouSt IN continued:
Recommends Disconttnuance of Pres
ent Seed Distribution.
Fou may be interested to Know that
In the estimates just submitted to con-
gress It has been recommended that
the distribution of ordinary vegetable
and flower seeds be discontinued and
that part of the s300. 0Go. heretofore
devoted to this purpose be usrd TO pro
cure, propagate and distribute among
the people. new and valuable seeds ana
plants, II congress secs fit In its wis
dom 10 accept the recommendation
particular attention Will he given to
the securing and distribution of new
and valuable seeds ard plants, includ-
Ing forage crop seeds whose charac-
ter and quality will he thoroughly
known and tested; and viii be taken
in every instance TO see that a suffi-
Client supply Is sent to make it worth
While for he individual farmer TO
make an ex riment.
Heretofore the work of the depart
ment has lain chiefly in the field OF
production. and even In this field II
has been conscious OF limitations. The
chief difficulty has been to make It's
results known effectively to the great
mass OF the farmers who most needed
the knowledge. There can be little
doubt that the federal department Of
agriculture ana INC various stats COL
leges and the best farmers have
enough knowledge to revolutionize the
nation II II could be conveyed TO all
farmers and they could be induced
to utilize ii. Suppose what Is known
about hog cholera, tick eradication.
the boil weevil, and other things
could be made intimately known to
every farmer and he could be induced
10 apply the remedys What hideous
waste could be avoided!
How to get this information to the
last man on the farm has been one
of the most troublesome problems
confronting the department. After
many years. an effective method has
I at last been devised. The demonstra-
ton plan has matle Its demonstration.
The old lesson that personal contact
is Of the highest value has been taught.
A Decnualizing Plan.
+ 1t Is perfectly apparent that an ex-
tension OF this demonstration work
will be made and bin now pending
/ in Congress, known as the Smith
Lever agricultural cooperative extern
sion bill. which embodies tho main
principles approved by experience. 1t
will insure tho closest cooperation OF
the federal department and the State
colleges; 1t will make both OF them
think and plan; II Will stop hapha2ard
enterprises; II will give each all the
facts about the activities of the other:
it will guarantee that nothing shall be
undertaken until IL has been carefully
thought out in advance. 1t will pre-
vent duplication OF effort and will re-
move friction. 1t will insure the eX-
pendtture4 of the federal funds for the
purpose for which they were intended:
K will provide an automatic check
against the looting Of the federal
treasury by recurring an equal appro-
priation from the State treasury and
by fixing an Ultimate limit to the Fed
Eeral contribution: and finally. Ii will
prevent the building up In Washing
Iton OF great centralized bureau. In