CONVENTION OF GERMAN EXPEKIMENT STATIONS. 451 



illuiniiiatioii, and rtieworks was in store for them. With the brilliant 

 illuniinatiou, the play of fountains and the music, the gardens presented 

 a veritable fairyland scene. 



At a. m. of the following- morning a meeting of the executive com- 

 mittee was held. The public session began about 10 o'clock. The 

 venerable Fresenius occupied a place by the side of the president and 

 remained during the morning session. Dr. Miiller, of Hildesheim, pre- 

 sented a report upon further investigations in the determination of fat 

 in molasses feed. He was followed by Professor Emmerling, of Kiel, 

 with a committee report upon the presence of free and volatile fatty 

 acids in feeding stuffs. Two other i:»apers were read before the close of 

 the morning session, one a committee report by Professor Maercker on 

 an examination of the Glaser-Crispo method for the determination of 

 sesquioxids in i^hosphates, and tlie other a paper not on the program 

 by Dr. SjoUema, of Groningen, Holland, on the occurrence of perchlorates 

 in Chili saltpeter, and the injurious effects of this upon rye. 



The afternoon session, which lasted about an hour and a half, was 

 devoted almost exclusively to the consideration of a pamphlet published 

 recently by Prof Adolf Mayer, of Wageningen, Holland, ui)on exi)eri- 

 ment stations as State institutions. ' As this pamphlet excited a lively 

 discussion and a display of considerable feeling on the part of the 

 association, and also as it is an effort to bring about closer interna- 

 tional relations between directors of agricultural experiment stations, 

 a somewhat full account of its contents and of its reception by the 

 German association is here given. 



Professor Mayer is director of the experiment station at Wagenin- 

 gen, and chairman of the college of directors of experiment stations of 

 Holland. The purpose of the pamphlet, as expressed by the author, 

 is to inaugurate an effort to bring about a more systematic and thor- 

 ough national organization by means of State control, with the ulti- 

 mate result of establishing closer international relations. The personnel 

 of the stations is first considered. A special preparation for the work 

 is deemed necessary; a general university course is not sufficient. 

 Practice in analytical methods in agricultural chemistry and botany is 

 considered a necessary requirement, and the establishment of a State 

 examination for station workers is advocated. The author would have 

 a station force cousist of (1) a director responsible for all the work of 

 the station; (2) a larger or smaller force of scientific assistants with 

 the title of chemist, botanist, etc. ; (3) aids, laborers, etc. This seems 

 to be directed against the (rerman organization, where in general all 

 below the director are classed as assistants, without reference to the 

 character of the work or position. ' 



The second chai)ter contains a brief history of the origin and growth 

 of the experiment stations in different countries; a discussion of the 



'Die landwirthscliaftliche Versiiehsstationen als Staats-Institut. Beitriige zu dor 

 Reform (lieser Austalten. von Dr. Adolf Mayer. Hcidi'll)erg: Carl Winter's, Universi- 

 tatsbuchliaudluug, 189G, pp. 84. 



