4 • EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



stated, these local societies were established in 1848. They were reor- 

 ganized in 1889 for the purpose of adapting them to existing conditions 

 and enabling them to render better service than before. The result 

 has, however, been disappointing. The law of 1889 has not produced 

 any essential change in the original organization. The International 

 Congress of Agriculture at its session last year in Brussels urged the 

 necessity for further improvements. 



ORGANIZATION AND OBJECT. 



At least 50 active members are required to form a local society. A 

 common fund is formed by contributions from the members and this is 

 augmented by subsidies from the general and provincial governments. 

 The purpose of this fund is to provide for the expenses of administra- 

 tion, for the organization of farmers' meetings, and for the dissemination 

 of improved methods of agriculture within the district. Wherever 

 practicable the General Government provides "a field of demonstra- 

 tion" for each local society. Each member receives the official agricul- 

 tural journal of the society. Each society is directed by an executive 

 committee, generally composed of 7 members, including a president, 

 2 vice-presidents, and a secretary and treasurer. Only one officer, 

 the secretary and treasurer, receives compensation. The committee is 

 renewed in part each year by vote of the society. The committee 

 attends to the administration of the society under the supervision of a 

 provincial commission of agriculture. This provincial commission con- 

 sists of the executive committee of the provincial assembly of delegates. 

 The latter body is made up of 2 delegates from each local society. 

 The assembly of delegates representing the provincial federation exam- 

 ines and approves the accounts and other affairs of the different local 

 societies and allots the subsidies of the State and those of the provinces. 

 Its executive committee, i. e., the provincial commission, carries out the 

 decisions of the assembly of delegates, transacts routine business, assists 

 in the collection of agricultural statistics, etc. Each provincial feder- 

 ation elects 2 delegates. These, together with the members nomi- 

 nated directly by the Minister of Agriculture, form a superior council 

 of agriculture. This council devotes its attention to all measures which 

 concern the progress of national agriculture. It gives advice in busi- 

 ness matters regarding which the Government has conferred upon it 

 the right of examination. It deliberates on all propositions relating to 

 agriculture which are submitted to it by the provincial federation or 

 by members of the council. The official organization therefore includes 

 three bodies (1) the local societies, (2) the provincial federation, and 

 (3) the superior council. There are about 150 local societies grouped 

 into 9 provincial federations. They include about 30,000 members, 

 averaging about 200 for each local society. Supposing that each mem- 

 ber represents one farm, the local societies now existing would repre- 

 sent only about 3 per cent of the 900,000 farms of Belgium. 



