OUR AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 355 



and the construction and management of creameries. At least 

 thirty-three stations are studying methods of chemical analysis. 

 Botanical studies occupy more or less of the attention of thirty- 

 three stations ; these include investigations in systematic and 

 physiological botany, mycology with special reference to the dis- 

 eases of plants, the testing of seeds with reference to their vitality 

 and purity, and classification of weeds, and methods for their 

 eradication. Thirty -five work to a greater or less extent in hor- 

 ticulture, testing varieties of vegetables and fruits, and making 

 studies in varietal improvement and synonymy. Nine have be- 

 gun operations in forestry. Twenty-five investigate injurious in- 

 sects, with a view to their prevention or destruction. Fifteen give 

 attention to veterinary science. At least four are experimenting 

 in apiculture and three in aviculture. Sugar-making is experi- 

 mented with at six stations, but the Louisiana Sugar Experiment 

 Station does far more in this direction than any other." Thus it 

 will be seen that the work is quite varied and comprehensive. 



The work is progressive and is progressing rapidly. As the 

 workers gain new knowledge and experience they gain new am- 

 bition to excel and aid the advancement of their particular branch 

 of science by opening to it a new field for development. This field 

 is a grand one ; few have more or more interesting problems to 

 solve or offer more for their solution. 



In the fifteen years during which experiment stations have ex- 

 isted in the United States much advancement has been made in 

 the art of agriculture and much money saved to our farmers. 

 While the stations can not claim sole credit for this progress, they 

 can claim a good share of the praise, and can show many broad 

 and useful results of their work. It is next to impossible to 

 enumerate these results, to show their full application, or even to 

 give examples which will do them justice. Still, a few of general 

 applicability may perhaps be cited with interest. 



The chief argument raised in favor of the establishment of the 

 first station in Connecticut was the fact that a few analyses of com- 

 mercial fertilizers, made in the laboratories of the Sheffield Sci- 

 entific School, had revealed, beyond a doubt, that immense frauds 

 were being perpetrated in their sale upon the farmers of the State. 

 The fact that crops responded so well to a really good fertilizer, 

 and that it could be easily imitated by a worthless article whose 

 uselessness was only made apparent by chemical analysis or crop 

 failure, made these frauds easy and frequent. When the station 

 was established the improvement of existing fertilizers and ex- 

 posure of frauds was made its first duty. Before buying a ferti- 

 lizer, any Connecticut farmer could have it analyzed free of charge, 

 and its ingredients in valuable plant-food were thus previously 

 made known. The station itself sent agents around the State and 



