466 
MARSEILLES, September 26, 1876. 
Lo the Commissioner of Agriculture : 
Sir: I have the honor to send you, by post, some specimens of the Phylloxera vasta- 
trix and some of the grape-roots which have been attacked by that insect, of the ray- 
ages of which, in France particularly, you are well aware. It is alleged, I believe 
unjustly, that we are indebted to your country for this destructive evil, the Phylloxera 
having been brought to this country in the first importation of American vines. By a 
comparison of our insects with yours, you can judge whether they are the same species. 
Please send me some specimens of your Phylloxera, and give me the particular habits of 
the insect. 
The habits of ours are as follows: 
1. During the summer, the wingless females remain about four months upon the roots. 
2. In October, some of the females, after metamorphosis, taking flight from the 
ground, ascend to the stems of the vines, where they deposit their eggs. 
3. The eggs, which are called winter-eggs, are hatched in the spring. 
Yours, &c., 
C. JAQUEME. 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT-STATIONS IN EUROPE* 
By Progr. W. O. ATWATER. 
WORK ON THE STATIONS. 
The work of the experiment-stations consists chiefly in investigations 
and experiments directly or indirectly connected with the nutrition and 
growth of animals and plants useful in agriculture. Various branches 
of agricultural technology, and the testing of the quality and value 
of commercial fertilizers, food-materials, and seeds, are also objects of 
their labors. The work of some stations is confined to one, while that 
of others includes several of these branches. From data furnished by 
Nobbe, in the Landwirthschaftlichen Versuchs-Stationen for 1874, it appears 
that in that year, of the 40 German stations, 13 were engaged in re- 
searches in animal physiology ; 20 in vegetable physiology ; (these terms 
being here understood to include essentially the chemistry of animal 
and vegetable nutrition ;) 5 were busied chiefly with studies in the chem- 
istry and physics of the soil; 4 made a specialty of grape-culture and 
wine-production, and 5 of questions in agricultural technology. Besides 
the work above mentioned, a control of the trade in fertilizers by an- 
alyses of wares bought and sold, was exercised by 28, of that in seeds by 
16, and of that in fodder-materials by 13 stations. 
Some idea of the nature and scope of the work of the German sta- 
tions may be obtained from the following accounts of the “ scientific 
and practical labors” of a number of the Prussian stations ‘ for 1874, 
with plans for 1875,” taken from the “Annual report upon agricultural 
experiment-stations in Prussia, for the year 1874, to the minister of 
agriculture.” The labors, at the stations named, were on the following 
topics: 
HALLE.—1. On the weathering of phosphorites under the influence of 
the organic substances of the soil. 
2. Experiments on the porosity of building-materials. 
3. Alterations of nitrogen in the soil. 
4, Investigations on moor-culture. 
5. Investigations on the manufacture of alcoholic spirits. 
6. Investigations on the estimation of the content of starch in pota- 
toes. 
A number of manufactories and stores of artificial fertilizers are 
¢ 
* A continuation of an article in the annual report of 1875, 
