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its products, — butter and cheese. The principal officer in this estab- 

 lishment, Mr. Storch, devotes himself to studying the bacteria of butter 

 and cheese, and the results of their activity in giving the best flavours 

 and even the proper consistency. Instruments and methods are also 

 designed for determining special points, e.g., the exact percentage of 

 butter in a small sample of milk, — simple enough to be used by the 

 dairy farmer as a test of the capabilities of each of his cows, and by the 

 maker of butter and cheese in determining the price to be paid for the 

 milk purchased from the farmers according to its richness in cream. 

 To the influence exercised by this Institution the high quality of 

 Danish butter and enormous increase in its export, is principally due. 

 One farmer is doing business in growing pure cultures of special bac- 

 teria, which are sold to butter-makers, for the purpose of ensuring the 

 best flavoured product. There is a trade also in " pasteurised" milk, 

 that is, milk heated to the degree that ensures the killing of germs, 

 that produce various diseases in human beings, and generally those 

 also that would cause the milk to sour. 



In Germany there is an Experimental Station, and sometimes two y 

 in each province. The chief objects are the study of the physiology of 

 plants and animals in its direct bearing upon agriculture ; the control 

 of certain trades in connection with agriculture for the protection of 

 farmers, e.g., the sale of artificial manures and of food for cattle is con- 

 trolled by the chemical analysis of samples, — the supply of sound seed 

 by seed-merchants by testing the seeds for percentage of germination ; 

 experiments in feeding cattle with certain foods to test their digesti- 

 bility, their value as flesh-formers, milk producers, etc. 



As an example of these Stations I may instance that at Bernburg. 

 This Experiment Station was founded by the Association of the Sugar 

 Beet Industry of the German Empire, though it is now under the im- 

 mediate control of the Ducal Government of Anhalt. The entire Station, 

 with its appliances and apparatus for plant experiments and the equip- 

 ment of the Laboratory, cost between 120,000 to 130,000 marks (£6,000 

 to £6,500). The Bernburg Station is of special interest to all students 

 of agricultural science from the fact that there Professor Hellriegel and 

 his associates discovered the relation between micro-organisms and the 

 acquisition of atmospheric nitrogen by plants. 



There are also other kinds of experimental stations, e.g., in Berlin, 

 one for distillers, another for brewers, another for the beet-sugar in- 

 dustry. The students in these stations are either practical men who 

 attend to get a certain amount of theoretical training, or agricultural 

 students who have passed through the ordinary curriculum at the 

 Schools. The courses of lectures and demonstrations generally last 

 from 6 to 12 months ; and it is evident that where every large farmer 

 grows great quantities of potatoes, which are used to make into spirit 

 with a residue of " cake" for cattle-food with the ultimate object of pro- 

 viding manure, the theoretical training even of six months must be of 

 great value. 



There are three grades of agricultural schools in Germany, one grade 

 is for the children of the poorer peasants open during the winter 

 season ; another grade is for richer peasants who are encouraged to pass 

 well by the resulting privilege of only serving one year in the army ; 

 and thirdly the High Schools of Agriculture in connection with Uni- 



