EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. X. Xo. 7. 



It is learned from a recent official report that steps are being taken 

 in Russia lor the establishment of a system of agricultural experiment 

 stations under the supervision of the Imperial Government. The 

 ministry of agriculture has elaborated a plan for such a system of 

 institutions, which has been passed upon and approved by the agri- 

 cultural council. In accordance with the usual course of events in that 

 country, this action will be followed at an early date by the issue of a 

 royal decree definitely inaugurating the system. 



The plan proposed and approved provides for four classes of insti- 

 tutions, namely: (1) agricultural experiment stations for scientific 

 investigation of problems in agriculture, chiefly by laboratory methods ; 

 (2) experimental fields (or orchards and gardens) for making field 

 experiments in the culture, etc., of agricultural crops, with a view to 

 solving technical questions of a more local character; (3) semiscientitic 

 experiment farms, for conducting practical experiments in general farm 

 management under local conditions, studying economic questions, etc.; 

 and (I) fields of demonstration (also orchards and gardens of the same 

 character) for demonstrating the application in practice of the results 

 of experiment station work, improved methods which have been tested 

 on the experimental fields, new kinds and varieties of valuable plants, 

 breeds of animals, farm implements, etc. Where desirable these four 

 types of stations may be united into one institution with the several 

 departments. 



The stations may be divided again, according to the scope of their 

 work, into (1) those which are working on the fundamental principles 

 underlying the practice of general agriculture, and (2) those which are 

 studying, by similar methods, questions of a more local character. 

 Stations of the first class will be located in the vicinity of the centers of 

 scientific learning, and those of the second class in typical agricultural 

 regions and, where possible, near the local centers of education. 



The experiment stations are to be provided with laboratories, collec- 

 tions, libraries, and other facilities as required by their particular lines 

 of work. In some cases they will be provided with departments of 

 agricultural meteorology. They will have under their direction small 

 tracts of land (only a few acres) as required for their work. Aside 

 from their regular investigations they will make analyses of soils, fer- 



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