4 MAINE AGRICULTUR-\L HXPERIMENT STATION. 



into blocks, and box experiments for growing plants were also 

 begun. 



While the principal object of the establishment of this Sta- 

 tion was the maintenance of a fertilizer control, in the first 

 months of existence lines of investigation were entered upon, 

 many of which have been continuously followed by this Station. 



The Maine Fertilizer Control and Agricultural Experiment 

 Station existed about two and a half years and issued twenty- 

 six bulletins and three reports, the former being published only 

 in the leading papers of the State and the latter as a part of 

 the report of the Maine Board of Agriculture. Upon the 

 passage by Congress of what is known as the Hatch Act, estab- 

 lishing agricultural experiment stations in every state, the Legis- 

 lature of 1887 repealed the law of March 3, 1885, by an act 

 which took effect October i, 1887. It was expected at the time 

 this act was passed, that by October i a station would be in 

 operation under the provisions of the national law. This did 

 not prove to be the case owing to the failure of Congress to 

 appropriate money, and had not the College assumed the risk of 

 advancing the funds to pay the expenses of the Station, work 

 would have ceased on the date in which the old Station law 

 stood repealed. As it was, the work was continued until Janu- 

 ary, 1888, when the Station force disbanded to await the action 

 of Congress. It was not until after the passage of the deficiency 

 bill early in February, 1888, that the funds became available for 

 the payment of the expenses of the year 1887-1888. Prior to 

 this, the Maine Legislature of 1887 had accepted the provisions 

 of the Hatch Act on the part of the State, and at the meeting 

 of the College Trustees in June, 1887, the present Station was 

 organized as a department of the College by the election of a 

 director and two other members of the staff of officers. 



At a meeting of the Trustees, held February 16, 1888, a gen- 

 eral plan for carrying out the provisions of the Hatch Act 

 involving the expenditure of $15,000 per annum, was presented 

 to the Board of Trustees and was accepted by them, and the 

 development and management of the Station under this plan 

 was placed in charge of a Station Council, made up of the Pres- 

 ident of the College, the Director of the Station, the heads of the 

 various departments of the Station, three members of the Trus- 



