284 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



of the nutrition work of this office; and a summary of nutrition lit- 

 erature which has appeared in the United States since the previous 

 congress. 



In presenting the American work to the conference, Dr. Lang- 

 worthy briefly outlined its scope, the agencies engaged in it, and dis- 

 cussed certain features of the findings and the general result of the 

 movement. Prof. Paul de Vuyst, inspector of agriculture in Bel- 

 gium, also spoke of the character and extent of this movement in 

 the United States and paid attention particularly to the work in 

 nutrition in the agricultural colleges and this department. 



A collection of monographs published on the occasion of the 

 twenty-fifth anniversary of the organization of the service of ''agro- 

 nomes" in Belgium contains an account of the organization of this 

 service, the duties and qualifications of "agronomes," graduates of 

 agricultural colleges engaged in extension work for the State, and 

 the results obtained in the various provinces by their scientific and 

 systematically organized work, as shown by increased yields in field 

 and garden crops and fruits, the more extensive use of fertilizers 

 and agricultural machinery, improvement of horses and live stock, 

 in dairy methods, poultry culture, etc. The agencies employed to 

 bring about these results are the teaching of agriculture in the pri- 

 mary schools, agricultural and special courses for adults, courses for 

 farmers' wives, traveling agricultural domestic science and dairy 

 schools, lectures, written and oral consultations, experiment and 

 demonstration fields and gardens, farmers' institutes, women's insti- 

 tutes, agricultural libraries, associations, expositions, etc. 



BRITISH ISLANDS. 



Those who are familiar with agricultural development in this coun- 

 try under the stimulus of Federal legislation will find much of interest 

 in plans which are now being formulated for the development of the 

 economic resources of Great Britain through governmental aid. 

 These plans are the result of a most comprehensive act of Parliament 

 known as tlie development and road improvement funds act (Progress 

 in Agricultural Education, 1910, p. 324), which although not restricted 

 to agriculture seems likely to lead to far-reaching benefits to that 

 industry. 



Under the terms of the development act, as the measure is com- 

 monly known, there is provided a board of development commission- 

 ers, upon whose recommendations advances may be made by the 

 treasury for aiding and developing agriculture and rural industries, 

 forestry, the reclamation and drainage of lands, the general improve- 

 ment of rural transportation, the construction and improvement of 

 harbors and inland navigation, the development and improvement of 



