INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1874. clxv 



AGRICULTURE. 



In agricultural science we have to report an encouraging 

 amount of progress. As usual, the majority of the more 

 important investigations come from the European, and par- 

 ticularly from the German experiment stations, which are 

 continually increasing in numbers, activity, and usefulness. 

 In our own country, likewise, the past year has been marked 

 by a number of very gratifying evidences of interest in this 

 department of research. Among these may be mentioned 

 the appearance of the Bulletin of the Bussey Institution, and 

 a movement for the establishment of an experiment station 

 in Connecticut. 



The Bussey Institution, intended by the will ot its founder 

 for the advancement of agricultural science, and forming a 

 branch of Harvard University, having at present no students, 

 is devoting a considerable portion of its own resources, aided 

 by donations from the Massachusetts Society for Promoting 

 Agriculture, to experiments in agricultural chemistry. Un- 

 der the direction of Professor Storer, a number of very ex- 

 tended and useful investigations have been made, and are 

 still in progress, on the composition of feeding materials and 

 fertilizers, the effects of different fertilizers upon crops, and 

 kindred topics. The institution thus amounts practically to 

 an experiment station. 



At the meeting of the Connecticut Board of Agriculture 

 in December, 1873, a movement toward the establishment of 

 an experiment station in that state was initiated. After the 

 matter had been canvassed in a number of farmers' meet- 

 ings, held for the purpose in various parts of the state, a 

 motion was brought before the Legislature providing funds 

 for the establishment of a station. The bill was, unfortu- 

 nately, deferred until the next Legislature. As the project 

 has found hearty support among the intelligent farmers of 

 the state, it is hoped that it may meet with success. 



At the Massachusetts Agricultural College, investigations 

 have been made by President Clark upon the flow of sap in 

 trees. In the laboratorv of the Scientific School at New 



m 



Haven, Professor Johnson and assistants are ens;ao;ed in some 



very interesting studies upon the nitrogen of soil. 



The chief workers in agricultural science in England are 



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