440 



expeiimeuts are described in thousands of newspapers and other 

 periodicals. The calls upon station officers to make public addresses 

 are numerous and increasing. The station correspondence with fanners 

 is now very large, and touches on nearly every topic connected with 

 farm theory and practice. A number of stations have made exhibits of 

 the processes or results of their investigations at the State and county 

 fairs. There have been many evidences of public ajtproval of the 

 stations and their work, as indicated by acts of the State legislatures 

 in their behalf; gifts of money by local communities, agricultural 

 associations, and private individuals; and by commendations of their 

 work in the agricultural journals as well as by farmers. The relatively 

 large space given to reports of work of the stations in the agricultural 

 press is also an indication of the favor in which the work of the stations 

 Is held. 



Numerons changes have been made in the officers of the stations dur- 

 ing the year. Under i)resent conditions it is ine\ itable that changes 

 should often occnr. A large number of stations Inn e b^'cn brought into 

 existence at one time under conditions little known even to local mana- 

 gers. It must be exjjccted that some time will i)ass before the right 

 men tind the right places. There are already evident advantages 

 arising out of transfer of men from one station to another. It ishojx'd, 

 however, that as the lines of work which each station may mostadvan 

 tageously undertake become more clearly defined, and the advantages 

 of cooperation and of division of labor are better understood, tin* 

 dennmds of the work in particular localities and the lU'cessity for 

 restricting the investigations of individual stations to a limited number 

 of i)roblems will tend to develop si)ecialists and to make the tenure of 

 their office much more permanent. 



The following statements regarding education ami research in agri 

 culture in France are based on a re]>ort made to the recent International 

 Agricultural Oimgress at the Hague, by K. Tisserand. 



The system of education ami icsearcli in agriculture now in operation 

 in France includes (1) schools of agricultural science, (2) higher schools 

 in which scientitic and practical instructitm in agriculture is given, (.?) 

 secondary schools in which the theory ami pra<-tice of agiiculture arc 

 taught. (4) schools of a]tprenticeship, (.j) courses in agriculture in con 

 nection with institutions for general education or with universities, (0) 

 agricultural experiment stations and lalxu'atories. 



In the lirst class the principal institution is the lust it ut yationat A<fro 

 nomique a Paris, in which instruction is given in agiicultural science, 

 supplemented by laboratory and field pra<'tic<*. Oiiginal researchesare 

 also earried on. The object of the school is to tiain a select body of sci- 

 entists and investigators to take tlic lead in promoting the im}trovenKMit 



