OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 245 



Act July 2. 1S62. c. 130, nieiitioned in tlicso provif^ions. is set forth, as 

 ameudetl by act March 3, 1SS3, c. 102, on p. 237, untv. Act August 30, 

 iS90, c. S41. also mentioned, is set forth above. 



ACT MARCH 2, 1887, c. 314. An act to establish agricultural experiment sta- 

 tions in connection with the colleges established in the several States under 

 the provisions of an act approved July second, eighteen hundred and 

 sixty-two. and of the acts supplementary thereto. (24 Stat. 440.) 



Establishment of experiment stations at State agricultural colleges. 



That in order to aid in acquiring and diffusing among the people 

 of the United States useful and practical information on subjects 

 connected Avith agriculture, and to promote scientific investigation 

 and experiment respecting the principles and applications of agricul- 

 tural science, there shall be established under direction of the college 

 or colleges or agricultural department of colleges in each State or 

 Territory established, or ■which may hereafter be established, in 

 accordance with the provisions of an act approved July second, 

 eighteen hundred and sixty-two, entitled "An act donating public 

 lands to the several States and Territories which may provide colleges 

 for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, or any of the 

 supplements to said act, a department to be known and designated as 

 an "* agricultural experiment station : " Provided, That in any State 

 or Territory in which two such colleges have been or may be so estab- 

 lished the appropriation hereinafter made to such State or Territory 

 shall be equally divided between such colleges, unless the legislature 

 of such State or Territory shall otherwise direct. 



Act March 2. 1SS7, c. 314, s. 1, 24 Stat. 440. 



Act July 12, 1862. c. 130. mentioned above, as amended by act March 3, 

 1S83, e. 102, is set forth on p. 237, ante. 



Scope of researches of experiment stations. 



Sec. 2. That it shall be the object and duty of said experiment 

 stations to conduct original researches or verify experiments on the 

 physiology- of plants and animals : the diseases to which they are sev- 

 erally subject, with the remedies for the same: the chemical composi- 

 tion of useful plants at their different stages of growth ; the com- 

 parative advantages of rotative cropping as pursued under a varying 

 series of crops: the capacity of new plants or trees for acclimation; 

 the analysis of soils and water; the chemical composition of manures, 

 natural or artificial, with experiments designed to test their com- 

 parative effects on crops of different kinds; the adaptation and value 

 of grasses and forage plants ; the composition and digestibility of tht 

 different kinds of food for domestic animals; the scientific and eco- 

 nomic questions involved in the production of butter and cheese; 

 and such other researches or experiments bearing directly on the 

 agricultural industry of the United States as may in each case be 

 deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and 

 needs of the respective States or Territories. 



Act March 2, 1887, c. 314, s. 2, 24 Stat. 440. 



The stations are required to devote a portion of their work to examina- 

 tion and classification of soils of their respective States and Territories, 

 by a i)rovision of act March 2, 1889, c. 373. set forth on p. 252, post. 



Provisions requiring the stations to cooperate with the Secretary of 

 Agriculture in establishing and maintaining experimental grass stations, 

 were contained in the agricultural appropriation acts for the fiscal years 

 1900 to ]9<¥; inolnsive, but wore not continued thereafter. The provision 



