299 



erties of arftble land ; the component parts of well-water ; observations 

 on the temperature of the soil; amount of carbonic acid in the atmos- 

 phere of stables; experiments with manures; plantin^^of various seeds; 

 raising of plants in pots with water and quartz-sand, different salts, and 

 combinations of nitrogen; experiments on the nourishment of grasses 

 through river- water; duration of life and degree of hardiness of injuri- 

 ous plants; intluenco of various methods in drilling; causes of the 

 potato-disease and its antidotes; inquiries into the nutrition of animals, 

 the manner and measure of respiration, and the inHuence of various 

 kinds of feed; experiments in fattening; inquiries into the process of 

 life in trichines, worms, «&c.; experiments in breeding, &c. 



In Prussia the control over experimental stations is vested in 

 a "central commission for experiments in agricultural chemistry," 

 the present chairman of which is l)r. Von Nathusius, privy high coun- 

 cilor of state, president of the state agricultural board, and assistant to 

 the minister of agriculture. One of its members is Mr. Von Salviati, 

 privy councilor of state, secretary of the state agricultural board, and 

 editor of the "Annals of Agriculture" for the Prussian states. Dr. 

 Luedersdorff, Dr. Eichhorn, and Dr. Pringsheim complete the commit- 

 tee, which is under the direct jurisdiction of the minister of agriculture. 



The officers in charge of the various experimental stations report to 

 this central commission, and are subject to its direction iu regard to 

 investigations to be made in the interest of the state. Thus a number 

 of stations are engaged in the analysis of imported manures, (guano, 

 «&c.,) which of late have been much adulterated, the design of the gov- 

 ernment being to prevent dealers from imposing on farmers in this 

 article of trade.* The results of experiments are communicated to the 

 central commission, to which they serve as bases for reports to the 

 minister of agriculture, and are ijublished in the official annals of that 

 department. The following are illustrations of some of the titles of these 

 reports : " Report of the central commission for agriculture (chemical 

 experiments) on the inquiries by agricultural academies and experi- 

 mental stations into the usefulness of kali preparations as manures." 

 " Report of the central commission, &c., on experiments made by 

 agricultural academies and experimental stations in the cultivation of 

 poppy, for the purpose of obtaining opium." " Report of the central 

 commission, &c., to the minister of agriculture on the labors of the 

 experimental stations in 1869 and 1870." 



The exiierimental stations of Prussia show the following receipts for 

 the year 1870 : 



* That this trade is very considerable is shown by the fact that in 1869 Germany 

 imported, through the port of Hamburg alone, 92,305 tous of guano, pliosphates, &c, 

 tPaid from college fund. 



