OUR AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 349 



this field, and numerous agricultural societies had their more or 

 less active chemists. 



But the epoch begun at Mockern in 1851 was new. The work 

 which had been already accomplished had been so brilliant, so 

 practical, so helpful, that when the society at Mockern established 

 the first German experiment station, and secured government 

 aid for it, the scientific German mind became fully aroused. It 

 needed but two years of its valuable work to demonstrate its use- 

 fulness, and in 1853 the good example set by the Mockern farmers 

 was followed by those of Chemnitz, also in Saxony. 



From this time on agricultural experiment stations have mul- 

 tiplied so rapidly in Europe that it has been almost impossible to 

 keep statistical pace with their growth. In 1856 there were five, 

 in 18GG there were thirty, in 1873 there were sixty-three, while to- 

 day there are one hundred and ten in France and Germany alone. 



Fortunately for American farmers, a young American of ex- 

 ceptional intellectual abilities, reared in an agricultural commu- 

 nity, and full of interest and zeal for his chosen profession of 

 chemistry, went to Germany in 1853 to finish his studies at the 

 University of Leipsic. Although Samuel W. Johnson had chosen 

 scientific pursuits, he had by no means lost his interest in rural 

 life, and, when led by chance or accident within so short a distance 

 of the new station at Mockern, he at once became imbued with its 

 life and spirit. The career of Samuel W. Johnson, now Professor 

 of Agricultural Chemistry in the Sheffield Scientific School, and 

 Director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, was 

 begun, and a fame was started which, gradually increasing with 

 his investigations and published works, has reached a height in 

 agricultural science which many will strive to reach in vain. He 

 must always be considered the pioneer of America in science ap- 

 plied to agriculture- Fortunately, also, another young man, whose 

 chief fault was in being born a few years later than his teacher, 

 went to take a post-graduate course under Prof. Johnson, at New 

 Haven. Receiving his doctor's degree in I860, Wilbur O. Atwater 

 went to Germany and there made a special study of the then 

 largely increased number of experiment stations. 



In 1872 the question had been discussed at a convention held 

 in "Washington, but on the 17th of December, 1873, the first direct 

 effort to start an agricultural experiment station on this conti- 

 nent was made. Dr. Atwater on that day read a paper before an 

 assembly of Connecticut farmers, in which he strongly advocated 

 the establishment of such a station. His remarks were supple- 

 mented by Prof. Johnson ; and, although the idea was new to most 

 of those present, their arguments were so clear and convincing 

 that a committee of eight was appointed to try and secure an 

 appropriation from their Legislature for the purpose. The Con- 



