Cooperative Relations in Agricultural Development x\ddress of E. T. Meredith, Secretary of Agriculture Before the Land-Grant College Association Springfield, Mass., October 20, 1920 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CIRCULAR 153 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Washington, D. C. Noveinl>cr, 1920 l*v>no^aph Published in response to a request of the Land-Grant College Association, October 20, 1920 Library of C0NaR^i§ • EIVEO JA1J111921 I DocuMEfsiTs Division COOPERATIVE RELATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. ^HIS, in a real sense, is a family gathering. The insti- tutions we represent are dedicated to puhlic serv- ice, and we are seeking in many of our activities to attain a common object — the strengthening of our na- tional foundations by the upbuilding of our great basic industry. I take it, therefore, that we may discuss our mutual ■pro])lems with tlie candor that should charac- terize the interchange of views among members of the same household; and I know you will believe me when I say that I count it a privilege and an honor to appear before this association, which includes in its member- ship the men who to-day are shaping the destiny of agriculture, men who must play such an important role in meeting some of the increasingly dillicult and com- plex problems confronting us at this time and those which will arise in the years that lie immediately ahead. I shall not attempt to indicate to this body what these problems are or are likely to be. It would be presump- tuous for me to do so. There are men here to-day who are far better qualified than I am to deal with such questions in a comprehensive way, and we must look to them for advice and guidance. I do wish, however, to discuss with you some matters of mutual concern to the land-grant colleges and experiment stations and to the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture was brought into be- ing 58 3^ears ago. Two years later the land-grant col- leges were established. For more than 20 years these great agencies worked together for the betterment of 1 KJGSG— 20 2 Address of E. T. Meredith. agriculture Ijefore there came into existence the agri- cultural experiment stations; and these three sets of in- stitutions have made contrihutions of untold value to the science and practice of agriculture. They have coop- erated, and are cooperating, with each other in innu- merable ways, but there still exist many opportunities for the further development of our cooperative rela- tions. In a few cases, and I am happy to say that they are very few, the colleges and the department have been pulling at cross-purposes — not because the ends they wish to attain are different, but because they do not thoroughly understand one another and are using dif- ferent methods — with resulting lost motion that could probably be avoided by close)' contact and under- standing. CLOSER COOPERATION NECESSARY. I am anxious to do everything in my power, while I am in the Department of Agriculture, to aid in promot- ing the more effective coordination of efforts among our agricultural agencies within their respective fields. Much has been done along this line within the past few years, but much remains to be done. Cooperation is a word that is very much in vogue these days, but, gen- erally speaking, I think its true meaning is little under- stood. Certainly there can be no thoroughgoing coop- eration unless there is a real desire to cooperate, and, it seems to me, that both the colleges and the department should overlook no opportunity to develop such a spirit — a desire to cooperate — among their workers. No matter how many agreements we enter into, their purposes can not be fully realized unless this spirit is fully developed, unless there exists between the parties to them a genuine feeling of mutual confidence and good will and an earnest desire and willingness to be helpful to each other. Your association, through its appro- priate committee, recently suggested the desirability of appointing an officer in the department whose specific duty it w^ould be to promote better relations and closer Cooperative Rclalions in Agriciillural Development. 3 coordination of work between the colleges and stations and the department. I have accepted this reconnnenda- tion in the spirit in which it was made, and I am con- vinced that its adoption wonld be mutually beneiicial to all these agencies. I have, therefore, reconmiended in our estimates for the next fiscal year, which have just been submitted to the Congress, that authority be given to appoint a director of scientific work, at a salary of $7,500 per annum, who shall be a permanent officer and who will devote his attention not only to the develop- ment and coordination of the research activities of the various branches of the department but who will also work out and put into execution plans for the further correlation of these activities with those of the appro- priate State agricultural agencies. I may add that I have also asked Congress for authority to appoint a director of regulatory work who will function in essen- tially the same way with reference to the regulatory work of the department. MUST GIVE MORE THOUGHT TO RESEARCH. I do not need to remind you gentlemen of the basic importance of research — and I use the word in its most comprehensive sense. It is the foundation of agricul- tural progress. Without it many of our agricultural activities could not exist under present conditions and others would be seriously crippled. All our most im- portant problems along control lines are based on years of patient research. Swine production in a large way is dependent upon hog-cholera control; the cattle industry upon tuberculosis eradication, and in the South upon cattle-tick eradication; the fruit industry upon scien- tific methods for the protection of both trees and fruit; many field and truck crops upon methods of disease control, the introduction and development of new varie- ties, and the working out of improved cultural methods and practices. I might go through the entire range of agriculture, giving illustrations of the application of the results of scientific study to everyday problems, but it is unneces- 4 Address of E. T. Meredith. sary for me to do so here. Indeed, so much has been accompKshed through the results of research that many people are dangerously near falling into the error of thinking that not much more work of this character is needed and that the requirements of the day relate merely to the application of knowledge already in hand. Research is more essential now than ever before, and the need does not relate wholly to the matter of taking care of the future. We are confronted to-day with serious problems of the most pressing nature about which we know very little. A striking instance is con- tagious abortion of cattle, a disease which handicaps the cattle industry of the country to an enormous de- gree. We have no successful method of combating it. Another is the breeding of domestic animals, which is still largely a matter of chance, and entirely too little fundamental research work upon it is in progress. No one will deny, I am sure, that it would be the part of wisdom to concentrate the best brains of the country on this important problem and to provide adequate facilities for carrying on the work in the most com- prehensive manner. Still another problem about which we know relatively little is that of the control of animal parasites. In large areas of the United States they con- stitute perhaps the greatest limiting factors in animal production. In everj^ section thej^ are problems of im- portance. I am told that there are probably 40 differ- ent parasites, about many of which we have little exact knowledge, that affect hogs alone. To acquire the needed information and to work out proper methods of preventing or controlling these pests a great deal of research of the highest order is necessary. MUST FACE SITUATION FRANKLY. There are numerous other problems of equal im- portance and urgency relating to the soil, to plant dis- eases, to plant breeding, and to all other phases of agri- cultural production. We must be frank enough with ourselves to recognize the fact that fundamental research has not gone forward Cooperative Relations in A()rirulliiral Development. 5 as rapidly as our best interests demaiul, and it seems to me that the time has come for us— the colleges and stations and the department— to see that it is given and retains the proper place in our respective organizations. I am sure that nowhere has the importance of research been consciously minimized, but, in the exigencies of war and its aftermath, a situation has come about which, I think you will agree, amounts to neglect of this basis of agricultural progress. The rapid growth of exten- sion work, the value of which I fully appreciate, has contributed to this result. We have been so busy with extension, so amazed also at the rapidity of its growth and application, that we have not found time to give to research, during the past few years, the careful plan- ning and deep thought that it should receive. Unless we are to permit an insidious undermining of the whole structure that we have reared through six decades of tireless work, we must have a larger number of thor- oughly trained and experienced investigators to give their time exclusively to research. Upon the agricul- tural colleges rests the responsibility of training the agricultural leaders and investigators of the future; they must provide the men and women needed by the experiment stations and the Department of Agriculture for the prosecution of their activities. There is a com- munity of interest, therefore, among these three agencies in dealing with this great problem and in seeing to it that there is constantly available an increasing number of well-trained and thoroughly grounded men and women to carry on the work intrusted to them. NEW SET OF P1U)HI,KMS TO SOLVE. There are many lines of research which are relatively undeveloped and to which, it seems to me, the depart- ment and the colleges in cooperation should give more attention in the future. 1 have in mind especially the study of the economic problems involved in marketing and distribution, in farm management, in land utiliza- tion and settlement, and in cooperative elVorl among farmers for various inirposes. Until a Itw yc>ars ago 6 Address of E. T. Meredith. relatively little systematic work had been done to aid in the solution of the complex problems arising in connec- tion with the distribution of farm products. Now the Bureau of Markets of the Department of Agriculture is actively at work in this field, and many of the land-grant colleges, to which the bureau must necessarily look in recruiting its personnel, have established courses in marketing, but I imagine some of these courses could be strengthened and that others could be developed. The activities of the Office of Farm Management and Farm Economics have, within the past two years, been redi- rected and expanded so that it is now in position to deal more effectively than ever before with broad economic problems, including farm management, land settlement and utilization, and the like; and here again the depart- ment must depend upon the colleges to provide the necessary number of trained men. Another line of work that could well be enlarged is that relating to the development of processes for con- verting perishable farm products into commodities suf- ficiently staple to he carried from the season of plenty to the period when they are actually needed. The fact that they can not now be so carried results in the marketing at one time of larger ({uantities than can be disposed of profitably and demoralization of the market follows, with consequent less to the farmers. Indus- tries founded upon the utilization of farm products in seasons of excess are of tremendous permanent value. As an illustration, 1 may cite the investigations con- ducted by the Bureau of Chemistr}' looking toward the development of a citrus by-products industry for the utilization of cull and surplus oranges and lemons. The efifort of the bureau to aid in the establishment of a dehydration industry is another instance. Still another is the task of develojDing technological processes for preserving perishable food products. This is illustrated in the studies of the Bureau of Markets and the Bureau of Plant Industry in the preservation of fruits and vege- tables and of the Biu'eau of Chemistrv in methods of Cooperative Relalions in Agriciillnral Development. 7 packing, shipping, and storing poultry and eggs. Then there is the prohk«ni of providing outlets lor waste prod- ucts, of which the utilization of corncohs for the makmg of adhcsives, cellulose, furfural, and other valuahle products is a striking exaniph'- BETTER ENGINEERING COURSES NEEDED. Much remains to he done, also, in developing the field of rural engineering. This is one of the newer branches in the department and in the colleges, and a number oi the latter, I believe, have not yet instituted courses tor the training of men along these lines. Some of the large problems with which the farmers have to deal are engi- neering in character. No uniformity now exists in the rating of farm machines, such as silage cutters and blow- ers, pumps, and other farm eciuipment. Comprehen- sive tests have not been made of farm power, either mechanical or animal. The Bureau of Public Roads l)roposes to inaugurate a comprehensive study ot me- chanical power on the farm, in cooperation with the acnicultural engineers of the State colleges, and the problems relating to farm buildings, heating, lighting, ventilation, and the like should be studied in the same manner. The colleges can perhaps do more than any other agency to bring about a better recognition of forestry as an essential part of agricultural science. The deple- tion of our timber supplies has reached such a stage as to make it incumbent upon both the colleges and the de- partment to begin a definite and earnest effort to solve the problems of timber production on the farms. A beginning already has been made along this line in a few States and I hope that others will turn their atten- tion to it in the near future. 1 may add that the de- partment is planning to ask Congress for an increased appropriation to further a national program of forestry and, if it is granted, it will be in position to prosecute the farm forestry project vigorously in cooperation with the colleges. 8 Address of E. T. Meredith. MUST TRAIN MEN IN METEOROLOGY. Practically nothing is being done, outside of the Weather Bureau of the department, toward the develop- ment of meteorology as a science. Less than half a dozen institutions in the United States have definite courses in meteorology, and these are inadequate to meet the requirements. As a matter of fact, few stu- dents have expressed a desire to pursue courses of this character because opportunities for employment in meteorological work have been confined almost en- tirely to the Weather Bureau. Becently there has been an increased interest in meteorology resulting from the unprecedented development of aviation and aeronau- tics, and more attention is being given than ever before to the utilization of meteorological data in connection with commercial and agricultural activities. The time is fast approaching when there will be many opportuni- ties for the employment of highly trained meteorologists in many lines of industry, and the development by some of the land-grant colleges of adequate courses in this branch of science is worthy of consideration. There are still large problems unsolved in connection with the extension work. The county-agent system is not complete. At least 600 counties need county agri- cultural agents; about 1,800 counties have no home dem- onstration agents, and only a small fraction of the farm boys and girls are being reached bj?^ the club movement. Tlie great need at the present time is for well-trained men who can carry on this highly useful and immensely important work, and the land-grant colleges, of course, are the proper agencies to train them. The rapid growth of the farm bureau movement and the increas- ing interest among farmers in the economic problems of agriculture, especially in marketing and transportation, has led to a situation in which the educational value of extension work is likely to be endangered by monopoliz- ing the time and energy of the county agent in purely commercial transactions. We must study this problem with the view of working out policies under which the needs of the farmers in cooperative marketing and other Cooperative Relations in Agricalliiral Dcuclopmcnl. 9 business affairs may be met witbout impairing Ibc edu- cational feature of tbe extension work. FULLER INFORMATION FOR FARMERS. Tbis leads me to suggest tbat more attention sbould be given, botb by tbe department and tbe colleges, to tbe furnisbing of information to farmers, tbrougb tbe ex- tension service and in otber ways, regarding tbe sui)i)ly of agricultural commodities not only in tbe bands of agencies in tbis country but also tbose available in otber sections of the world. Tbis information sbould be pre- sented in sucb a way as to sbow clearly to tbe average farmer tbe probable cft'ect tbat existing supplies will bave on future prices; and, in connection witb tbe de- velopment of processes for utilization of surplus prod- ucts, it would be a great aid to tbem in regulating Ibeir planting and marketing operations so as to reduce many of tbe losses tbc}^ are now compelled to suffer. It is not my tbougbt tbat tbe colleges and tbe department sbould undertake to advise farmers specifically wbat tbey sbouki or sbould not produce during any season, but ratber tbat tbey sbould place tbe facts before tbe farm- ers in sucb a way tbat any intelligent farmer migbt de- cide for bimself wbat be sbould do. Wben all is said and done, neitber Ibe colleges nor tbe department can render tbe most eff'ective service unless tbey bave an adequate, well-trained personnel, and tbe problem of securing and maintaining sucb a personnel is of mutual concern. If we are to discbarge our responsibilities to tbe public, we must see to it tbat tbe salary standards and oppoitunities, botb of tbe col- leges and tbe department, are sucb as to attract and bold tbe ablest and most far-seeing scientific men in America. Tbe turnover in tbe dei)artmenl, esi)ecially among tbe research workers, bas reached an alarming stage and we are threatened with a serious disinti'gralion of lb(> service. I assume that the colleges are confronted with essentially the same situation. I'nless something is done to remedy existing conditions we can not li()i)e to maintain tbe integrity of our research and other aelivi- 10 Address of E. T. Meredith. ties. Valuable men are leaving us constantly for sala- ries two, three, four, and even five times as much as we are able to pay them. It is not to be hoped, of course, that we can ever meet that kind of competition, and, in fact, our scientific men do not expect it. As a general rule they do not feel that we should pay them as large salaries as they could secure in private employment, but they do feel — and I am in full sympathy with their view — that they should receive compensation sufficient to enable them to keep themselves and their families in reasonable comfort. Unless we can pay them more ade- quate compensation our institutions will continue to be drained of many of their most efQcient workers, and in time a serious, almost a fatal, blow will have been struck at the root of agricultural progress, because much of the work done by the Department of Agriculture, by the agricultural colleges, b}^ the agricultural-extension agencies of every kind, rests, in the final analysis, on the results obtained by the research workers. SCIENTISTS MUST HAVE BETTER SALARIES. It is of the utmost importance that the colleges and the department should be in position to retain their scientific workers over long periods. From the stand- point of public service, a man once embarked in an im- portant field of investigation, if he is capable and effi- cient, should remain there for the rest of his active career. If he leaves to accept other employment, he carries with him much of the information he has se- cured in the progress of his work which enriches him in experience but which can not possibly be put on record. This means, of course, that a new man con- tinuing the problem must, in many instances, go over a considerable part of the field already covered before he reaches the point where his predecessor left off. In dealing with this vital problem of personnel there are many ways in which the colleges and the department can cooperate to mutual advantage, and it behooves us to do everything in our power to see that the present situation is remedied, and remedied promptly. Cooperative Relations in Ayrienltnral Development. 11 Our inability to pay adequate conipcnsatioii to our scientific workers is due to the lack of sufficient funds, or to limitations placed on the discretion of executive officers by Congress or the legislatures of the various States, and these, in turn, arc due in large measure to the lack of understanding on the part of the public of the importance of research work. The only way, or at least one way, by which this situation can be corrected is for the colleges and the department to combine in an effort to outline the great and pressing ])roblems in the field of agriculture and to emphasize the importance of their solution so that the cooperation of all the people of the country may be secured. CULTIVATE PUBLIC OPINION. It seems to me that, on the whole, we have given too little attention to public opinion as it relates to agri- cultural problems. Any misconception on the part of a large group of individuals as to the true function of public institutions relating to agriculture is almost cer- tain to retard progress. Generally speaking, the con- sumer thinks that agricultural institutions, including the colleges and the department, are maintained for the benefit of the farmer and for his benefit alone. This, of course, is not true. These institutions are serving, with a high measure of efficiency, the whole people, urban as well as rural. During the past 50 years the relative decrease in agricultural population and the in- crease in urban population has been very marked. Yet, on the whole, the smaller percentage of persons engaged in agriculture has produced adequate supplies of farm products. Increased efficiency directly attributable to the work of agricultural institutions has certainly played an important pari in bringing about this result. Everything done by them that has helped to increase production and to eliminate wastes not only has added to the farmer's income but has also benefited the city consumer. This fact, however, is not generally under- stood. One of the tasks ahead of us is to see Ihal such an understanding is conveyed to the public; thai if is 12 Address of E. T. Meredith. demonstrated to the people in the cities, as well as those in the rural districts, that the funds devoted to agricul- ture are not used in the interest of the farmer alone but in the interest of the consumer as well. The means for accomplishing this end ought to be carefully considered and then put into operation as promptly as possible. We should overlook no oppor- tunity to present agricultural problems in the most at- tractive and effective way to city organizations, such as boards of trade, chambers of commerce, community as- sociations, the press, and others. Emphasis should be placed on the dependence of the city man on the agri- cultural communit3% Ijoth as a source of food supply and as a market for manufactured products, on the fact that farming, if it is to continue to meet the Nation's require- ments, must provide an adequate return to those en- gaged in it, and on the necessity of making country life more attractive. We should emphasize, too, the com- mon interest of the farmer and the city man in such problems as those of providing a suf!icicnt farm labor supply, adequate transportation facilities, and ample iinance for agricultural needs. PROFIT BY LESSONS OF WAR. In closing, I wish to emphasize again my earnest de- sire to do everything in my power to promote closer and more effective cooperation between the department and the colleges. The war taught us the value of co- operation and we should not fail to take, full advantage of the lesson we have learned at such great cost. We all know the part that science played in the winning of the war, and that it was not until the scientific men of the allied countries united in solving the complex technical problems of warfare that victory was assured. Lack of cooperation between the agricultural agencies of the Nation would, I believe, be prevented or obviated by better knowledge on the part of each organization of the aims and viewpoints of the others. The appointment of a director of scientific work in the department will, I am sure, do much to bring about closer relations, and it (loopcrative Relalions in AgiirnlUual Dcpclopincnl. 13 occurs to iiic also that a system for the exchange of scientific workers is worth}' of consideration. By tliis I mean that it iniglit he feasihle to develop a plan whereby men working along si)ecial lines in the various branches of the department might be exchanged, in limited number lor limited periods, with scientists working along similar lines, either as research men or as teachers in the colleges. In this way the depart- ment's methods of work and of handling problems would be carried to the colleges and their methods of work and their way of considering and dealing with problems would be brought to the department, with benefit to both. Such a plan, it seems to me, would result in closer contacts and better understanding, and would lead to new ideas in both organizations relative to the important lines of research and other work to be undertaken. For the department I wish to say that it is our hope and our desire that there may be strengthened wherever possible the close relationships now existing between us, hoping that we may be of increased service to you, and knowing that we will receive great help and inspira- tion from you in carrying forward together work for the development of agriculture, the basic industry of the country. o LIBRARY OF CONGRESS pniiiii 003 189 061 5 ^