700 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A srant of .$;>,100 has been made for reuiodeling the dairy barn. 



National Soil Fertility League. — This organization has been recently formed, 

 with headquarters at Chicago, for the puriwse of bringing about more intensive 

 cultivation of the soil. As a means to this end the provision of a local expert 

 in each agricultural county, through state and federal aid to the agricultural 

 colleges, is being advocated. Howard D. Gross, of Chicago, is president of the 

 league and James J. Hill is chairman of the advisory committee, of which, 

 among the members are President Taft, Secretary MacVeagh, of the Treasury 

 Department; President B. J. James, of the University of Illinois; Hon. Champ 

 Clark; ex-Governor W. D. Hoard, of Wisconsin; Henry Wallace, of Wallace's 

 Farmer, and Hon. William Jennings Bryan. 



Fifth International Dairy Congress. — The Fifth International Dairy Congress 

 met at Stockholm, June 28 to July 1, with a large attendance and an interesting 

 program. The sessions were held in the two chambers of the House of Parlia- 

 ment, two sections being formed, one discussing the production of milk and the 

 other its handling and use. 



In the first section the effect of foods upon the quality of milk and dairy 

 products received much attention, especially from Messrs. Kellner, Boggild, and 

 Hansson, as regards the effect on fat content. The final conclusions of the con- 

 gress were in support of the theory that certain foods exercise an influence on 

 the quantity of fat in milk in the case of cows having a high milk yield, but 

 that further work is needed as to the conditions governing such an increase and 

 as to its practical importance. Orla Jensen, of Coi^enhagen, reported negative 

 results from a long series of experiments on the influence of fertilizers upon 

 forage plants and the subsequent quality of milk and dairy products. 



The congress indorsed the efforts of cow-testing associations for dairy 

 improvement. The value of veterinary and other inspection of milk supplies 

 was a subject of much discussion and a commission was appointed to suggest 

 regulations applicable to such supervision. 



The second section of the congress considered the questions of requirements 

 to be exacted in milk and dairy products, analytical methods, cheese control, 

 and the instruction of dairymen. A resolution was adopted strongly urging in 

 all dairy publications the use of the metric system and of the centigrade ther- 

 mometer scale. 



Following the congress opportunity was afforded to visit the twenty-first 

 General Swedish Agricultural Exhibit at Orebro, and other points of interest. 



Miscellaneous. — Prof. Dr. J. Konig has retired as director of the agricultural 

 experiment station at Miinster, after 40 years' occupancy of the position, and 

 Las been succeeded by Prof. Dr. A. Boruer, formerly vice director. 



Dr. F. Bente, director for many years of the control station for fertilizers, 

 feeding stuffs, foods, and seeds at Ebstorf, Prussia, died July 13. 



o 



