The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Lubin, David

LUBIN, David, American agriculturist, founder of the International Institute of Agriculture: b. Poland, of Jewish parents, 10 June 1849; d. Rome, Italy, 1 Jan. 1919. He was taken to England when he was two years old. On his father's death, David's mother married again and they emigrated to America. He received a scant education and at an early age was placed in a jewelry factory in Attleboro, Mass. Finding slight opportunity of advancement there he drifted to California. He reached Sacramento and after working at odd jobs he amassed sufficient funds to start a dry-goods store of his own. David dealt largely in overalls and thus came in contact with the farmers of California, and as he met them in person he learned something of their problems and his keen mind was soon interested. He bought a farm and became a fruit grower, retaining also his dry-goods business which had prospered. In his new vocation of farmer there came to him the idea of an international agricultural congress, whereby one side of the globe might learn what the other side was producing and how and at what cost. He began collecting statistics on the subject; studied plant life and domestic animals and made investigations into their diseases and sought remedies therefor. In 1904 Mr. Lubin found support in Italy for his projected international agricultural congress. King Emmanuel saw the need for such an institution and gave it his ardent support, giving a building for the congress and an annual income of $60,000. At the first gathering 40 nations were represented and Mr. Lubin was appointed the delegate from the United States by President Roosevelt. Mr. Lubin lived to see 53 nations taking part in the congress. He was responsible also for the introduction of the rural credits system in the United States and he brought about the passage of a measure in Congress for increasing the parcels post service for the benefit of the farmer, promoting direct selling and buying of farm produce through the mails. He also took a keen interest in farmers' co-operative societies and granges and was interested in oceanic shipping. He introduced the national marketing proposal on the lines of the German Landwirtschaftsrat. In 1913 on the occasion of the meeting of the congress in Rome Mr. Lubin received a silver cup as a token of appreciation of his efforts in originating the organization. Since that year he had lived in Rome much of the time. He published ‘Let There be Light.’ See International Institute of Agriculture.