21() ItKl'OKT OF OFFICE OF EXPKHIMKNT STATIONS. 



facturcrs may send thrir inachiiK's and liaxc lliciii tested for accuracy 

 of work, stren«;^tli, and durability. Sucii stations are located at Halle, 

 Leipzig, Ilohenhcim, Honn, Miinster, Kappel. A\'eilienstephan, Han- 

 over, the agricultural lii^li school at Berlin, and other places. The 

 tests of machines are made j)artly at the laboratories of the stations 

 and partly on the farms belon<i:in^ to the stations, or on large estates 

 in the nei<i:hborhood. The trial coimnission consists of from 5 to 

 7 members who are chosen by the station director for three years. 

 The director is usually the chairman of the connnission. The pro- 

 fessor of farm machinery is in charge of the trials, and is also the 

 paid secretary. The other members of the connnission receive ex- 

 penses and $3 a day during the time they are on duty. 



The manufacturei's pay a certain fixed j)rice — usually about 10 per 

 cent of the selling i)rice^for the testing of their implements. They 

 also pay for the fieight on the machines, and for the necessary help 

 and poAver during the trial. Besides the manufacturers and in- 

 ventors, individual farmers and agricultural clubs have also the privi- 

 lege of sending in machines for trial purposes, and the connnission 

 itself is at liberty to arrange field trials of implements, either indi- 

 vidually or in groups of the same class, but it is seldom that funds 

 are available for the latter purpose. 



The secretary prepares a report of the results of tlie different trials, 

 which is published in the agricultural papers, but it is seldom that 

 these results are given out in bulletin form. It is, therefore, some- 

 what difficult to pass judgment on the usefulness of the stations. If 

 the test should prove that the machine is not satisfactory, the manu- 

 facturers may request that the results be withheld from publication. 



The implement trial station at Halle has been organized since 18G7, 

 and has taken the lead among the German trial stations, especially 

 during the period from 1873 to 1894, when Dr. Albert AYust had 

 charge of the investigations. 



The agricultural high school at Berlin has a well-developed and 

 efficient department of farm machinery, Avith perhaps the most exten- 

 sive museum of models in the world. A very complete equipment for 

 the detailed scientific study of principles of construction and opera- 

 tion is now being installed. • 



ITALY. 



The Federation of Agricultural Societies of Italy has a technical 

 department through which the federation aims to keep itself in touch 

 w^ith the progressive improvements of agricultural machinery. In 

 this department are undertaken certain investigations and compari- 

 sons of various implements to determine their efficiency for the 

 different localities of Italy, mainly for the benefit of members of the 

 federation who wish to purchase implements. 



