598 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



eral characteristics of Belgian agriculture; the organization of agricul- 

 tural education in Belgium — the higher institutions for education and 

 research, the secondary schools, lecture courses for adult farmers, and 

 primary education; agricultural societies; experiment station at Gem- 

 bloux, and gives a comparative view of agricultural education in the 

 United States. 



" [The Belgian system] provides for primary, secondary, and superior schools or 

 courses of agriculture. Primary agricultural courses for adult farmers are conducted 

 under the direction of the ministry of agriculture, while courses of a similar grade 

 for teachers and children are supervised hy the ministry of puhlic instruction. The 

 secondary and superior schools of agriculture, as well as other agencies for promoting 

 agricultural education and research, are directed hy the ministry of agriculture." 



After describing the work of these different grades of institutions 

 the author says, in conclusion: 



"In view of the strenuous efforts which European countries are making to give 

 regular instruction in agriculture to large numbers of their rural population, it is 

 well that our farmers should seriously consider their needs in this direction and the 

 best ways in which these needs may be supplied. It is certain that the colleges of 

 agriculture need to be strengthened and developed in order that the leaders iu agri- 

 cultural education, research, and progress in this country may be as thoroughly 

 trained as they are in the Old World. The grade of instruction in these colleges 

 needs to be raised rather than lowered, and it is not to be expected that these insti- 

 tutions will send back to the farms any considerable body of practical farmers. 

 Their graduates will for the most part be needed as teachers, investigators, editors, 

 officials, and managers of those agricultural industries in which scientific attain- 

 ments are indispensable to success. If any considerable number of the farmers of 

 the coming generations are to have definite instruction in agriculture, it must be in 

 schools aud courses specially devised to meet the needs of those who for any reason 

 are unable to take the long aud expensive college course. This article will have 

 served its purpose if it contributes in any measure to an intelligent examination of 

 the problems involved in providing a suitable system of agricultural education in 

 this country." 



Reports of board of control and treasurer of Connecticut State Station, 

 1896 (Connecticut State Sta. Rpt. 1S96, -pp. XYI, 899-414). — This contains announce- 

 ments relative to the publications of the station and to gratuitous chemical and 

 botanical work of the station; a brief review of the Avork of the year by the secre- 

 tary of the board of control ; a financial report for the fiscal year ending September 

 30, 1896, and a comprehensive index. 



Tenth Annual Report of Illinois Station, 1897 (Illinois Sta. Rpt. 1S97, pp. IS).— 

 Lists of the bulletins published by the station and of experiments in hand during 

 the year, and a detailed financial statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897. 



Reports of director and treasurer of "Wisconsin Station, 1896 ( Wisconsin 

 Sta. R})t. 1896, pp. 1-9, 323-331, fig. 1 ).— A review of the year's work; lists of 

 exchanges, acknowledgments, and of available publications of the station, and a 

 financial statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896. 



Seventh Annual Report of Wyoming Station, 1897 (Wyoming Sta. Rpt. 1S97, 

 pp. ,: !, Append, pp. S4 ). — Brief abstracts of the bulletins published during the year, 

 plan of work at the station and substations, treasurer's report for the fiscal year 

 ending June 30, 1897, and an appendix containing reprints of Press Bulletin ."> on 

 Cooperative sugar-beet tests aud of Bulletins 32 and 33 of the station. 



Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, 1896 ( U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 

 1S9G, pp. 1380, pis. 4, figs. 163, dgms. 9). — This includes a general report by the Secre- 

 tary on the operations of the Department during the year; numerous semipopular 



