STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 10i> 



accurate knowledge of their feeding values becomes imperative. It 

 is an old saying, that "necessity is the mother of invention," and 

 the attempt to answer these questions gave birth to our agricultural 

 experiment stations. The first one was established in Connecticut 

 in 1875, and its early work in analyzing commercial fertilizers and 

 publishing the results, saved thousands of dollars to the American 

 farmer, who, until the fertilizer was used, was unable to determine 

 whether he was purchasing old leather scraps compounded into a 

 highly odorous mixture, or a valuable food upon which his plants 

 would grow and thrive. So important was the work done by this 

 pioneer station, that a demand arose for others, and there are now 

 no less than fifty established in diflferent parts of the country. With 

 such a trained corps of educated workers, the scientific features 

 of agriculture are likely to be developed quite as rapidly as the 

 farmers are educated up to their adoption. Under the general guid- 

 ance of a national station and the association of directors, which 

 meets frequently for the discussion of methods and work, we have 

 abundant reason to expect much from them in the future. 



MAINE FERTILIZER CONTROL AND AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Here in Maine our legislature, in the winter of 1885, passed an 

 act locating and establishing the Maine Fertilizer Control and Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station in connection with the State Colhge at 

 Orono, and appropriated the sum of $5,000 annually for its support. 

 This station existed for about two years and a half. Its work con- 

 sisted very largely of the inspection of the commercial fertilizers 

 sold in the State, and in conducting a few farm and feeding experi- 

 ments. As a matter of fact, the means were entirely inadequate 

 for carrying on satisfactory experimental work. As a preparation, 

 however, for the larger work of the present station, it certainly did 

 all we could expect, though some who had anticipated great results, 

 without measuring their cost in money and labor, were disap- 

 pointed. 



THE HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. 



The "Hatch Act," so called from its author, establishing an agri- 

 cultural experimental station in every state, went into effect Oct. 

 1st, 1887, and our legislature in consequence repealed the law 

 under which the original station was created. Under the "Hatch 

 Act," the sum of $15,000 is annually appropriated for each station, 



