EXPERIMENT STATION RliCORD. 



Vol. VIII. I«fo. 9. 



It is often an encouraging' thought when progress in a particular line 

 of investigation seems slow that practically all of our present science 

 of agriculture has been worked out within the lifetime of tlie present 

 generation. This thought is suggested especially by the death within 

 a few months of two men who have been intimately associated with this 

 Avork and who have seen it grow almost from first principles. These 

 men — Piof. Emil von Wolff, of Ilohenheiui, Germany, and Prof. Georges 

 Ville, of Paris — have been widely known for their scientific work and 

 their writings. Especial iuterest attaches to the former, as he was the 

 organizer and first director of the first experiment station established 

 for the promotion of agriculture. 



It was in 1840 that Liebig published his book on Chemistry in its 

 Relation to Agricultuie and Physiology, which made so deep an 

 impression in agricultural circles throughout Europe. This soon led to 

 agitation in Germany in regard to appointing at State expense chemists 

 who should devote their services to the interests of agriculture, result- 

 ing in the establishment at Miickern in 1851 of the first agricultural 

 experiment station. Emil Wolff, then a young man of 33 years, and a 

 teacher of natural sciences in the agricultural school at Brosa, was 

 chosen the first director of the station, and to him fell the duty of organ- 

 izing it and of planning its work. After serving for three years at 

 this station he went to the agricultural academy atHohenheim, where 

 lie remained as professor and as director of the experiment station 

 until 1891, when he resigned and retired to private life. At the time of 

 his deatli, in November last. Professor Wolff' was 78 years old. 



While both Wolff' and Ville contributed materially to the advance- 

 ment of agricultural science, they will be remembered especially for the 

 dedu(;tions which they made from the progress of science and their 

 efforts to bring about the ap])lication of these teachings in practice. 

 In this field of popular writing they represented the two great divisions 

 of the work — Ville, the nianuring of the soil and the use of commercial 

 fertilizers, and Wolff", the feeding of farm animals especially, although 

 he wrote much on the use of fertilizers. 



Emil von Wolff' supplied the link between theory and ])ractice. He 

 had constantly in mind tlie application of new discoveries in agricul- 

 tural science to farm practice, and he sought by his compilations to 



739 



