354 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



months results equal to those which even the German experiment 

 stations have conquered only after years of strict application with 

 the aid of the best of the scientists of that scientific nation it can 

 not be wondered at that these new-born stations have in several 

 instances fallen short of what was expected of them. While in 

 some cases the three-year-old stations may not as yet be able to 

 show results equivalent to the $45,000 received by them in that 

 time, still, as a whole, I think, no intelligent agriculturist familiar 

 with their workings will deny that they have more than returned 

 the appropriations received by them. In fact, I doubt if the in- 

 creased value of commercial fertilizers, to improve which the 

 stations were first established in this country, has not in itself 

 more than balanced the account. 



But while the younger stations are asked for immediate results 

 to meet the popular demand, it must not be supposed that these 

 results are all worthless or hastily compiled. To the contrary, 

 they have profited by the example of the older stations, and many 

 most excellent showings can be made, while many of the bulletins, 

 compiled in some instances from work done at other places, on the 

 scientific principle of stock-feeding, fertilization, and other topics, 

 have been issued as an educating medium, and to familiarize the 

 farmers with unavoidable technical terms and expressions. 



While there is scarcely a science that has not been called into 

 play in some one of the experiment stations, still, chemistry has its 

 place in all and is pre-eminent in most. Horticulture, botany, and 

 entomology are of course extremely prominent, while the study of 

 fungi and bacteria is steadily increasing. But to review the 

 present work of the various stations nothing better than the fol- 

 lowing summary, from an official report of recent date, can be 

 given: "Twenty-seven stations are studying problems relating 

 to meteorology and climatic conditions. Thirty-one are studying 

 the soil, by investigations of its geology, physics, or chemistry ; 

 experiments in tillage, drainage, or irrigation ; soil tests with fer- 

 tilizers, or other experimental inquiries. Thirty-five are making 

 analyses of commercial or home-made fertilizers, or are conduct- 

 ing field experiments with fertilizers. Thirty-nine are studying 

 the more important crops with reference to the methods of cult- 

 ure, manuring, and rotations ; varieties adapted to different locali- 

 ties and purposes ; and chemical composition and nutritive value. 

 Twenty-five stations are investigating the composition of feed- 

 ing-stuffs, and in some instances making digestion experiments. 

 Seventeen are dealing with questions relating to silos and silage. 

 Twenty-four are conducting feeding experiments for milk, beef, 

 mutton, or pork, or are studying different methods of feeding. 

 Eighteen are investigating subjects related to dairying, including 

 the chemistry of milk, bacteria of milk, creaming, butter-making, 



