EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XII. No. ± 



The International Congress of Experiment Stations, held in Paris 

 in connection with the exposition, was the third of its kind, although 

 less of international interest has attached to the two previous ones. 

 All three of these international congresses have been held at or near 

 Paris. The first convened at Versailles, in June, 1881, following the 

 marked activity in the organization of experiment stations which 

 occurred throughout Europe a few years previous to that time. The 

 second congress was held at Paris in connection with the Universal 

 Exposition of 1889. The third, which in point of attendance at least 

 was to a greater extent international than the two preceding, met 

 June 18 to 22, 1900. Seventeen countries in which experiment stations 

 are maintained were represented by delegates, although in some cases the 

 representation was smaller than would have been expected. No dele- 

 gates were present from Russia, Norway, Sweden, Spain, or Canada. 

 The enrolled membership was nearly two hundred, of whom sixty 

 were directors of stations. Only accredited delegates were admitted 

 to the congress, and cards of admission were issued upon registration. 



The congress was presided over by Casimir-Perier, president of the 

 Societe nationale d'' encouragement a Vacjricidture^ whose linguistic 

 attainments specially fitted him for the position. The secretary of 

 the congress was Louis Grandeau, director of the Station agrono- 

 mique de VEst. After an opening address by the president, M. Gran- 

 deau addressed the congress upon the history and development of the 

 experiment station idea throughout the world. He gave particular 

 attention to the stations of the United States, and highly connnended 

 their scope, facilities, and the character of their work. The provisional 

 programme which had been sent out early in the year was then pre- 

 sented. The first day's sessions were taken up with the reading and 

 discussion of papers relating to soils, fertilizers, and field tests. The 

 sessions of the second day were occupied with papers on feeding ani- 

 mals, anal}^ses of wine, cider, dairy products, seeds, etc. The closing 

 session was devoted principally to questions of station organization 

 and methods of investigation. The desirability of uniformity in 

 methods of analysis, and where practicable in agricultural investiga- 

 tion, formed a quite prominent feature of the discussion, and upon the 

 recommendation of the directory a resolution was introduced, which was 



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