216 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



January 22, 1888. The constitution of this association is given at the 

 conclusion of this article. 



This association has developed along- various lines, and its field of 

 activity has become very broad. It embraces not only the matter of 

 analytical methods, in which uniform methods are agreed upon for the 

 examination of fertilizers and feeding stuffs, and studies made of the 

 methods by committees appointed for the purpose, but it also includes 

 other lines, as, for instance, defining the meaning of terms applied to 

 certain agricultural supplies, -as bone meal, bran, etc.; testing feeding 

 stuffs as to purity and general condition; fixing the basis of valuation 

 of the separate nutrients of feeding stuffs; 1 training and placing of 

 assistants; methods of sampling fertilizers and feeding stuffs; methods 

 of soil examination; the principles of rational estimation of the value 

 of fertilizers, as that of Thomas phosphate meal according to its con- 

 tent of citrate-soluble phosphoric acid, Chile saltpeter according to its 

 nitrogen content as determined by the direct method ; the establish- 

 ment of the limits of variations of analyses from the standard; the 

 conduct of the fertilizer control; the appointment of a jury to pass 

 upon contested analyses of fertilizers and feeding stuffs; the conduct 

 of seed control; the guaranteeing of seeds; the calculation of the 

 value of grass and other seeds; the testing of the quality of feeding 

 stuffs from a chemical and bacteriological point of view ; the attitude 

 of the experiment stations toward the fertilizer and feeding stuffs 

 manufacturers and dealers; and various other allied questions. 



As this association of experiment stations has proved entirely sat- 

 isfactory and of great usefulness, the need of a federal organization 

 has not been felt in Germany. In fact it is not regarded as desirable 

 in the case of most of the stations that the Federal Government should 

 interfere with this organization which has discharged its duties so 

 admirably. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS IN 



THE GERMAN EMPIRE. 



Sec. 1. Every agricultural experiment station in the German Empire established 

 by or maintained in the interest of the public by the state, provincial authorities, or 

 an agricultural corporation affiliated with a central agricultural union, and includ- 

 ing the agricultural experiment stations connected with the agricultural institutes 

 (Hochschiile), is entitled to membership in the Association of Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Stations in the German Empire. 



Sec 2. The object of the association is the mutual advancement of the interests 

 and aims of the experiment stations along scientific and practical lines, and espe- 

 cially the securing of the greatest practicable uniformity in the examination and 

 control of fertilizers, feeding stuffs, seeds, and other important agricultural supplies. 



The rights and obligations of the authorities or corporate bodies of the experi- 

 ment stations shall not be encroached upon. 



Sec. 3. The association shall choose a directorate to conduct its affairs, consisting 



ir rhia work is conducted by Professor Kouig, of Miinster, in the interest of the 

 association. 



