EDITORIAL NOTES. 8 



.should bo undortakon, for the purpose of doteruiinino- the host, method 

 of applyuig- it and the actual plant alkaloids toward which it is most 

 destructive. 



The account of the Hungarian experiment stations given in the pres- 

 ent issue will h(^ of interest to students of the experiment station sys- 

 tems of ditierent countries, and will serve to show how well organize^ 

 and etlicicnt a system has been worked out for the benefit of the agri- 

 culture of Hungary. We are inde))ted for this account to Dr. Peter 

 Fireman, who recently visited a num))er of the stations in that country, 

 and to the kind assistance of Mr. Alajos Paikert, royal Hungarian com- 

 missioner, who represents the agricultural interests of his country in 

 the United States. 



Although still in their infancy, the Hungarian stations have become 

 a recognized power for the promotion of agriculture and the improve- 

 ment of agricultural practice in that country. The first station for 

 plant culture was established less than ten years ago, and up to 1898 

 confined itself to conducting practical experiments in cooperation with 

 farmers; and the plant-culture stations since established have been in 

 operation only two or three years. The laboratories are not elaborate 

 in their equipment, and have not made original research a prominent 

 feature of their work. But the stations are, to a greater extent than 

 those of most other European countries, on a practical basis, and are 

 working in the direct interest of the farmers. Their aim has evidently 

 been to promote the interests of agriculture in all proper ways, to assist 

 the farmer in procuring pure seed and fertilizers and the best varie- 

 ties of plants, and to work out better methods of practice. They are 

 reported to have been successful in reaching the farming population 

 and winning their confidence in a quite remarkable degree. In spite 

 of the natural conservatism of the farmers in so old a country, they 

 have not failed to profit by the teachings of the stations, and are put- 

 ting the results of their work into practice. In their aims and tenden- 

 cies and their relations to the practical agriculturists, Mr. Paikert 

 declares that the Hungarian stations resemble those of the United 

 States more closely than any other country. 



Incidentally the Hungarian stations are carrying on an increasing 

 amount of work which is of interest to investigators at large. The 

 accounts of their work are published for the most part in the official 

 organ of the stations (lui^erletugyi Kdzlemeriyek), and the fact that this 

 is printed only in the language of the country, and does not appear to 

 be reviewed regularly by any German or French periodical, has 

 caus(Ml much of their work to ])e lost sight of. It has been our desire 

 to include reviews of the Hungarian work in the Record, but consid- 

 erable difficulty has been experienced in obtaining the services of a 

 translator competent to review the more or less technical articles. 

 Arrangements have now been made, however, by which, it is hoped, 

 the principal articles of general interest in the official publication may 

 be noted in 1>riel' in these columns. 



