THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. In the nineteenth century the progress of agriculture was pro foundly affected by great general causes, some of which exerted a world-wide influence. Among these were: (1) the application of science to the improvement of agriculture; (2) the revolution in transportation methods through the use of steam power on land and sea; (3) the rapid opening of vast areas of new' land in North and South America, Australia, and Africa to settle ment, cultivation, and grazing; (4) the inven tion and extensive use of labor-saving machinery as applied to agriculture; (5) the abolition of serfdom and slavery; (6) the specialization of agricultural industries; (7) the organization of the distribution of agricultural products and their use in manufactures in accordance with the modern business principles governing the or ganization of other great industries; (S) the es tablishment of governmental agencies for the promotion of agriculture; (9) the voluntary eoiiperation of farmers through numerous asso ciations; and (10) the wide dissemination of agricultural information through books, journals, public documents, and farmers' meetings. Scien tific studies and experiments for the benefit of agriculture began with the development of ag ricultural chemistry early in the century. The most widespread practical result of the investi gations in agricultural chemistry has been the extensive use of a large number of forms of com mercial fertilizers. In more recent years a wide range of successful research on behalf of agri culture has been developed with the aid of the biological sciences, and in the closing years of the niueteenth century investigations in agricultural assumed groat importance. The marvel
ous success of scientific efferIs under gov ernment patronage, as applied to and the sugar-beet industry, is on.. of the notable achievements of that century. Organized seien tifie research for the benefit of agriculture through experiment stations and kindred insti tutions has become a regular and permanent agency for the advancement of this art. See AG RICI I ExPERIMENT STATION; and AnRI CULTURE, DEPARTMENT DE.
The vital interest of the whole community in the success of agriculture as dustry has been distinctly recognized during the nineteenth century by the widespread establish ment of governmental agencies for its piamaition. Agriculture has now a definite place in the min istries of almost all the eivilized nations of the globe. In Great Hritain the Government fosters agricultural interests through a Board of Agri culture. In the l'nited States the Federal Government maintains a Department of Agri culture, whose chief officer has had a seat in the President's Cabinet since 188J as the Sec retary of Agriculture. Many of the States, too., have departments, boards, or commissioners of agricult ure.