June 5, 1885.] 



SCIENCE, 



471 



SOME STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERI- 

 MENT-STATIONS. 



A comparison of the successive reports of 

 the New-Jersej- experiment-station shows that 

 it has rapidly passed beyond that initial stage 

 of nearly every American station, in which its 

 chief duty is the ' control ' of the trade in com- 

 mercial fertilizers. It is still a fertilizer con- 

 trol station, and, as its report shows, has been 

 active in this field ; some two hundred analy- 

 ses being reported, and much thought having 

 evidently been bestowed upon the various 

 problems arising in connection with the equi- 

 table sampling and valuation of these goods. 



At the same time, this work occupies but 

 fifty-four pages out of a total of a hundred and 

 seventy-six, the larger portion of the remain- 

 der being taken up with reports of experiments 

 bearing upon the broader questions of agricul- 

 tural practice. 



These latter furnish an admirable illustration 

 of the class of experiments which, in a previous 

 number of Science, we ventured to designate 

 as empirical, as distinguished from rational — 

 using these words, of course, in their technical 

 sense. They are what are often called practi- 

 cal, as opposed to scientific experiments ; but 

 the word ' practical ' has been so wrested, in 

 popular use, from its proper moaning of ' per- 

 taining to practice,' that its use in this con- 

 nection is to be avoided. 



Besides various minor matters, the most 

 noteworthy experiments of this sort are the 

 field experiments upon the growth of sorghum, 

 and the comparison between field-corn and en- 

 silaged fodder-corn. 



In the last-named investigation, the ques- 

 tions proposed were, the comparative yield of 

 digestible food per acre, the comparative cost 

 of gathering it and preparing it for use, its 

 relative feeding- value, and the relative ex- 

 haustion of the soil in the two cases. The re- 

 sults were throughout decidedly in favor of the 

 field-corn ; the grain and stalks yielding more 

 and cheaper food per acre than the ensilaged 

 fodder-corn, and food of equal milk-producing 

 value, pound for pound. 



The report of the Ohio station, while deal- 

 ing with different subjects, resembles that of 

 the New-Jersey station in the general charac- 

 ter of the experiments reported. A great deal 

 of attention has been given to testing varieties 

 of wheat and corn, and the tables of results 



Fifth annual report of the New-Jersey state agricultural ex- 

 periment-station for the year 1884. Princeton, N.J., Robinson 

 pr. 1884. 176 p. 8°. 



Third annual report of the Ohio agricultural experiment- 

 station for 1884. Printed by order of the state legislature. Co- 

 lumbus, Myers brothers, state printers, 1885. 240 p. 8°. 



contain avast amount of valuable information. 

 The tests of methods of seeding or planting, 

 of cultivation, mulching, use of fertilizers, etc. , 

 are extensive, and apparently carefully coo- 

 ducted, though we regret to observe the some- 

 what common lack of an adequate discussion 

 of the results reached. Other interesting mat- 

 ter is to be found in the sections devoted to 

 small-fruits and vegetables, insects, weeds, 

 grasses, and various other subjects. 



In brief, both these stations have done most 

 excellent work of the kind attempted ; and that 

 this kind of work meets with popular approval, 

 is evident in New Jersey, at least, from the 

 fact that the station's original appropriation of 

 five thousand dollars per year has been suc- 

 cessively raised to eight thousand and eleven 

 thousand dollars. Under the circumstances, 

 it is not to be wondered at that the station 

 has turned its attention chiefly or entirely to 

 experiments relating to the practice of agri- 

 culture. At the same time, we cannot but 

 regret that the American stations, as a rule, 

 m'dny of them with reasonably ample incomes, 

 are doing so little, comparatively, to advance 

 the science of agriculture, believing, as we do, 

 that ' a sound theory is the surest guide to a 

 successful practice.' 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



A statue of Darwin, by Mr. Boehm, RA,, has 

 just been placed in the great hall of the British 

 museum on Cromwell Row, and arrangements for its 

 unveiling will be made shortly. It is the gift to the 

 nation of the Darwin memorial fund. It is found, 

 that, after the payment of all expenses, over two 

 thousand pounds will remain, which will form a 

 Darwin fund, to be transferred to the Royal society, 

 the income of which is to be appropriated in such a 

 way as may be " best calculated to promote biological 

 study and research." 



— The Society for the prevention of cruelty to ani- 

 mals in the Netherlands has petitioned the govern- 

 ment to introduce into Holland the rules with regard 

 to vivisection drawn up by the Prussian authorities. 



— In the Spanish congress on May IS, according 

 to Nature, Senor Castelar called attention to Dr. Fer- 

 ran's experiments in inoculation against cholera, and 

 asked the minister of the interior to give a subven- 

 tion to enable Dr. Ferran to continue his experiments 

 on a larger scale. The minister, in reply, said he was 

 unable to do so at present, but, as soon as it lay in his 

 power, he would grant a sufficient sum, although, in 

 his opinion, Dr. Ferran's experiments had not yet 

 reached a sufficient degree of certainty to prove a 

 complete success. He added, that a commission of 

 medical men would be appointed to visit Valencia 



