Page:Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History vol 1.djvu/47

 the people than they otherwise would have done. The drought, which extended throughout most of the western states, fell with much force on Kansas and she experienced one of the most disastrous crop years in her history. In 1888 much of the loss was retrieved, a rapid restoration of confidence was occasioned in a large measure by the development of two new and very important industries—sugar and salt—and by an abundant harvest.

During the years 1888–89 the state board of agriculture turned some of its attention from immigration to the instruction of farmers in the means and methods best adapted to successful agriculture. With this in view the agricultural meetings were conducted along the lines of a farmers' institute, and were considered very profitable. A most important step in the scientific development of husbandry was made in 1887, when the passage of the “Hatch bill” by Congress provided for the organization in each state of a station for experiment in lines promotive to agriculture. This experiment station, located by the legislature, was made a department of the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. The work of the section is done in eight departments: the farm department deals with experiments in farm crops, such as the testing of seeds, the introduction of new crops, rotation and adaptation of crops to soil; the botanical department includes work along the lines of plant breeding and forage crops; the chemical department is engaged in analysis of soil, feeds, waters, ores, clays and miscellaneous things, the dairy and animal husbandry department conducts experiments in cheese making, economical production of milk, butter making, relative advantages of cattle foods, etc; the entomological department experiments relate to orchard pests, crop pests, etc.; the horticultural department makes experiments in fruit raising, shrubs and vines as ornamentals, vegetables suitable for canning factories, etc.; the veterinary department experiments in all kinds of diseases of cattle, swine and stock. The general department controls the management of the station, the distribution of bulletins, press notices, etc. The experiment station puts itself in touch with the agricultural districts through bulletins, farmers' institutes, crop contests, press reports and display trains. Its influence has been shown in every community, as is evidenced by the diversity of crops, and the crop yield. In 1890 the crops raised were winter wheat, spring wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, Irish and sweet potatoes, castor beans, cotton, flax, hemp, tobacco, broom corn, millet and bungareau, sorghum, milo maize, Jerusalem corn and prairie hay, the total number of acres cultivated being 15,929,654, the crop valuation $121,127,645, and the population 1,427,096.

Up to 1890 agriculture was practically confined to the eastern and central parts of the state, the western portion being considered almost unfit for crops. In 1891 and 1892 a special effort was made to place before the public the capabilities of Kansas soil for the production of wheat, and several farmers from every county in the state who had grown unusually bountiful crops were asked to report to the State