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farmers. Scientific investigations are necessarily expensive. Such 

 investigations as are likely to be of advantage to agriculture must be 

 conducted on so extensive a scale as to be beyond the means of the in- 

 dividual farmer. Agriculture is so fundamental to all other arts, and 

 its success is so vital to all classes of people that it has been deemed 

 expedient to extend governmental aid to this industry on consideration 

 of the public welfare." 



He afterwards enters into more details as to the work of the stations, 

 thus : — 



"The work of the agricultural experiment stations as organized in 

 this country may be classified in a general way as follows : (1) they act 

 as bureaus of information on many questions of practical interest to the 

 farmers of their several localities ; (2) they seek by practical tests to 

 devise better methods of agriculture and to introduce new crops and 

 live stock, or to establish new agricultural industries ; (3) they aid the 

 farmer in his contest with insects and with diseases of his crops and 

 live stock ; (4) they help to defend the farmer against fraud in the sale 

 of fertilizers, seeds, and feeding stuffs ; (5) they investigate the opera- 

 tions of nature in the air, water, soil, plants, and animals, in order to 

 find out the principles which can be applied to the betterment of the 

 processes and products of agriculture. 



" The experiment stations are conducting a wide range of scientific 

 research in the laboratory and plant house, and an equally large amount 

 of practical experimenting in the field, the orchard, the stable and the 

 dairy. Thirty stations are studying problems relating to meteorology 

 and climatic conditions. Forty stations are at work upon the soil, in- 

 vestigating its geology, physics or chemistry, or conducting soil tests 

 with fertilizers or in other ways. Fourteen stations are studying ques- 

 tions relating to irrigation. Thirty-nine stations are making analyses 

 of comm ercial and home made fertilizers, or are conducting field ex- 

 periments with fertilizers. At least fifteen stations either exercise a 

 fertilizer control in their respective States, or make analyses on which 

 the control is based. All the stations are studying the more important 

 crops, either with regard to their composition, nutritive value, methods 

 of manuring and cultivation, and the best varieties adapted to indi- 

 vidual localities, or with reference to systems of rotation. Thirty-five 

 stations are investigating the composition of feeding stuffs, and in some 

 instances making digestion experiments. Thirty-seven stations are con- 

 ducting feeding experiments for milk, beef, mutton, or pork, or are 

 studying different methods of feeding. Thirty-two stations are in- 

 vestigating subjects relating to dairying, including the chemistry and 

 bacteria of milk, creaming, butter-making, or the construction and 

 management of creameries. Forty-five stations are study ng methods 

 of analysis and doing other chemical work. Botanical studies occupy 

 more or less of the attention of about thirty stations ; these include 

 investigations in systematic and physiological botany, with especial 

 reference to the diseases of plants, testing of seeds with reference to 

 their vitality and purity, classification of weeds, and methods for their 

 eradication. Forty- three stations work to a greater or less extent in 

 horticulture, testing varieties of vegetables and large and small fruits, 

 and making studies in varietal improvement and synonymy. Several 

 stations have begun operations in forestry. Thirty-one stations inves- 



