The  development  of  experiment  stations  in  the
United  States,  briefly  expressed,  has  been  as
follows:  There  was  first  more  or  less  agricul-
tural inquiry  carried  on  by  the  colleges  estab-
lished under  the  terms  of  the  Morrill  Act  of
1862;  these  efforts  undoubtedly  led  to  the
formal  establishment  of  experiment  stations
by  the  states,  the  first  of  these  being  organized
at  Connecticut  in  1S75,  the  number  rising  to
about  20  by  1887;  the  passage  in  1887  of  an  act,
approved  March  2,  of  that  year  known  as  the
Hatch  Act,  granting  federal  aid,  $15,000  per
annum,  to  each  state  and  territory  for  the  pur-
pose of  establishing  an  agricultural  experiment
station  in  order  "  to  promote  scientific  investi-
gation and  experiment  respecting  the  principles
and  applications  of  agricultural  science  ";  fur-
ther legislation,  approved  March  16,  1906,
known  as  the  Adams  Act,  appropriating  addi-
tional money  to  each  state,  ultimately  amount-
ing to  $15,000  per  annum,  for  the  more  complete
endowment  and  maintenance  of  agricultural  ex-
periment stations,  this  money  "to  be  applied
only  to  paying  the  necessary  expenses  of  con-
ducting original  researches  or  experiments  bear-
ing directly  on  the  agricultural  industry  of  the
United  States."  In  this  connection  recognition
should  be  given  to  the  influence  of  a  few  men
connected  with  the  older  colleges  and  universi-
ties, including  Professors  Brewer  and  Johnson  of


62


AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION


AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION


Yale  University,  Professor  Storer  of  Harvard
University,  Dr.  Evan  Pugh,  President  of  the
Pennsylvania  State  College,  and  Dr.  W.  0.
Atwater  of  Wesleyan  University,  who  were
potent  factors  in  promoting  a  study  of  science
in  its  relations  to  agriculture.
