1907.] Agricultural Research. 



389 



prized modern type were each reduced to the condition of only 

 being able to produce one sprout at the apical end. The 

 product of the third generation formed vigorous sprouts 

 from every part of the tuber, thus proving that abandonment 

 of all forcing or selective tactics enables the plants to regain their 

 power of producing diastase. This result, however, was at 

 the expense of all those points that have cost the cultivator 

 so much time and labour to secure ; the crop was small, the 

 tubers few in number and only of average size, the " eyes " 

 considerably depressed. 



Superphosphate increased the amount of diastase to a much 

 greater extent than a liberal dressing of farmyard manure. 



Light favours the production of diastase much more than 

 darkness, while a greater amount is produced in a high than in 

 a low temperature. 



A very interesting discovery on this point was made by 

 Mr. Watson, Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Some tubers 

 that had refused to produce sprouts when placed under the most 

 favourable conditions available to the ordinary grower, were 

 placed in one of the forcing pits having a temperature averaging 

 about 70 0 F. In due course sprouts were formed in all the 

 " eyes " at the apical end of the tubers. The tubers were then 

 planted and yielded an ample crop of normal potatoes. 



Further particulars will be found in the Kew Bulletin, 

 No. 8, 1907. 



ORGANISATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, 



The organisation of agricultural research formed the subject 

 of several papers which were read at the International Agri- 

 cultural Congress at Vienna. Dr. True the Director of the 

 Office of Experiment Stations of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, contributed an interesting report dealing with 

 the broad principles which should be kept in view in the 

 organisation of experimental work. 

 The main portion of Dr. True's paper is reprinted below : — 

 Agriculture is an industry fundamental to human life and 

 civilization, its interests concern the whole population, and its 

 promotion may well be one of the most important functions 

 of the general government. The agricultural experiment 

 station should therefore be organised as a permanent institu- 



