中国农史学科百年历史之溯源

1955年7月,中国农业遗产研究室在南京农学院正式成立,标志着我国农史研究事业受到党和国家的重视,进入了一个较快的发展阶段。然而,少有人知的是,作为中国农业遗产研究室的前身——金陵大学农业图书合作部,早在1920年代就开始初步的农史研究工作。金陵大学农业图书合作部自成立之初就与美国农业部和国会图书馆合作,由美国农业部官员施永高和金陵大学农林科长芮思娄主导,美方派遣图书馆专业人员卫德女士来华,任金陵大学农业图书合作部主任,协助编制古农书索引。这场合作为中国的农史学科发展提示了方向,金陵大学农业图书合作部历经战乱改组而不改初心,广泛收集地理方志,加以校勘编纂,为中国农史学科发展做了人员、资料和方法上的准备,为后世农史研究留下了宝贵的资料,同时也奠定了中国农业遗产研究室的雏形。

The Origin of the Centennial History of Chinese Agricultural History Research

In July 1955,the China Agricultural Heritage Research Office was formally established in Nanjing Agricultural University,marking that China s agricultural history research has been valued by the whole country and has entered a relatively rapid development stage.However,few people know that,as the predecessor of the Chinese Agricultural Heritage Research Office,the Agricultural Book Cooperation of Nanking University,as early as 1920,preliminary agricultural history research work has begun.Since its establishment,the Agricultural Book Cooperation of Nanking University has cooperated with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Library of Congress.It is led by Walter T.Swingle,an official of the United States Department of Agriculture,and John H.Reisner,Dean of Agriculture and Forestry of Nanking University.The United States has sent a library professional,Ms.Wead,to China,serving as the director of the Agricultural Book Cooperation of Nanking University and assisting in compiling the index of ancient agricultural books.This occasion serves as a direction for the development of China’s agricultural history discipline.The Agricultural Book Cooperation of Nanking University has gone through war and reorganization without changing its original intention.It has extensively collected geographical records,modified and compiled them,and made personnel,materials and methods for the development of China’s agricultural history.This preparation has left valuable data for future agricultural history research,and also laid the foundation of the Agricultural Heritage Research Office of Nanjing Agricultural University.