104 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The section also favored beginning agricultural training at twelve 

 years of age, and holding special courses arranged on a part-time 

 basis for those engaged in farm work. It was the prevailing opinion 

 that the agricultural work in special schools should be given by spe- 

 cialists and that normal courses should embody in their fourth year 

 a large amount of practical work. 



A. Delos presented a detailed report on instruction in traveling 

 schools of agriculture in Belgium, discussing courses of study, gen- 

 eral organization, personnel, and results. His resolution favoring the 

 establishment in properly selected centers of temporary winter schools, 

 with courses extending over several seasons, was adopted. 



A summary of the principal scientific discoveries in agriculture was 

 presented by M. Gregoire, in which he referred to the work on the 

 determination of soil acidity by Christensen and of the biological 

 examination of soils by Stoklasa and Russell, and the various methods 

 of soil examination in use in different countries. M. de Vilmorin 

 presented a general report on new methods of selection in breeding 

 work. 



Three special subjects were also taken up in this section, namely 

 agricultural meteorology, the culture of hops, and viticulture. With 

 reference to meteorology, the conclusions adopted were that farmers 

 should possess some knowledge of meteorological science, especially 

 as regards the interpretation of observations, and that public inter- 

 est in such observations and their multiplication should be increased. 

 In this connection it may be said that there is a general sentiment 

 among agricultural scientists and leaders in Europe that the meteoro- 

 logical services in the different countries should give much more 

 attention to the requirements of agriculture and that more extended 

 and thorough investigation of the agricultural relations of meteor- 

 ology is greatly needed. 



Animal industry formed the general subject of section 3. The 

 practical application of Kellner's production values was discussed, 

 and the need for additional experimentation emphasized as a basis 

 for action by the next congress. Difficulties in the way of recognizing 

 the best animals for breeding purposes were pointed out and the 

 opinion expressed that in addition to conformation and external 

 signs recognition should be given to biological qualities, the experi- 

 mental control of special traits, data available in herd books, the 

 influence of consanguinity, etc. Existing bases of classification of 

 races of domestic animals were criticized and a resolution adopted 

 favoring their complete revision from the standpoint of modern 

 biological knowledge. 



The rural engineering section gave considerable attention to ques- 

 tions of soil reclamation and improvement, advocating international 

 studies in soil physics such as are now in progress in Russia as a basis 



