452 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



best methods of mauageineut; a cousideiatiou of the extent to which 

 the State ought to have control, and to what extent the control may be 

 left with advantage to agricultural and other associations ; the advan- 

 tages of a national organization, with examples of the unsatisfactory 

 character of private control ; closing with a report of the Holland com- 

 mission for the establishment of stations under State control. 



In the next chapter the author describes in detail what a national 

 organization should be in order to secure prompt and reliable analyses 

 for purposes of control. He compares the national organization and 

 methods of analysis of Holland with those of Germany to the great 

 advantage of the former. 



In the fourth and last chapter the international relations of stations 

 are considered, and the best methods of accomplishing international 

 cooperation. The author points out what he considers defects in the 

 existing organization of certain systems, particularly those of England 

 and Germany, which, in his opinion, stand in the way of any success- 

 ful effort to establish international cooperation and thus further increase 

 the usefulness of these institutions. An international organization is 

 not practicable, the author thinks, until in all those countries which it 

 is desired to include there is a central and ofticial supervisory head. 



The author further points out what he considers serious faults in the 

 organization of the German association, namely: 



(1) The association is composed of stations which are dissimilar in 

 many respects. Some are under the control of the State, others of the 

 province, and others of agricultural societies; and some can act inde- 

 pendently while others can not vote upon certain important questions 

 without instruction from their control. (2) In technical analytical ques- 

 tions, only those resolutions which are passed by the unanimous vote 

 of those delegates present are binding; /. c, a single dissenting vote 

 can defeat the majority. This puts too much i^ower into the hands of 

 a few. (3) The stations are not required to join the association, and 

 some stations are debarred from entrance. This results in a great 

 diversitj^ in the competence and reliability of stations with consequent 

 evil results for the agricultural public. 



The author expresses the hope that his views may be discussed and 

 combated, as "Des chocs des oi)inions resulte la verite." This wish is 

 being gratified in Germany probably beyond the hoi)es of the author. 

 The association took official notice of the pamphlet and its charges by 

 arranging for a discussion of it at the Wiesbaden meeting. The dis- 

 cussion was opened by Prof. H. Schulze, of Brunswick, with a vigorous 

 and scathing reply to the charges of Professor Mayer, which called 

 forth a lively debate. The opinion seemed to be unanimous that Pro- 

 fessor Mayer's criticisms of the association were unjust and uncalled 

 for. They were the result of an inexcusable misunderstanding of the 

 German organization and of the difticulty of securing a central organ- 

 ization, even if desired, in a country with such diverse interests as those 



