THIRD 
Leipsic, Saxony, February, 1854. . 
Messrs. Editors— Within an hour’s walk of Leip¬ 
sic, near the village of Moeckern, is situated an Agri¬ 
cultural Experiment-Station, some account of which 
may be acceptable to your readers. About three years 
since the Leipsic Economical Society came into pos¬ 
session of a farm of some 120 English acres, and with 
the co-operation of the Leipsic and Chemist’s Agricul¬ 
tural Society, determined to establish it as an Experi¬ 
mental Farm. Application to government was followed 
by legalization of the institution, and an annual ap¬ 
propriation for its support; and finally, certain funds 
which had been raised by the “ Union of the German 
land and forest lords,” for erecting a monument to the 
great Thaer,* and which remained after the comple¬ 
tion of the same, were applied as a Thaer foundation 
to assist in promoting this useful object. The great 
utility tff such establishments, and the hope that the 
organization of similar ones in the United States may 
be encouraged by an account of this, induces me to 
annex a translation of the important features of the 
statute relating thereto, and approved by the Saxon 
government about a year since. 
“ Under the title 4 Ag. Experiment Station, upon 
the farm of the Leipsic Ec. Society, and the adjoining 
lands of Dr. Crusius,’ is founded an institution to be 
devoted to the advancement of agriculture by means 
of scientific investigations carried on in close connec¬ 
tion with practical experiment. This object shall be 
promoted by the co-operation of a practical farmer 
and a man of science. The investigations and experi¬ 
ments they shall institute, shall be mainly directed to 
the following particulars:— 
“ 1. The growth of plants—the conditions affecting it 
(generally; and in particular, tho influence of the con¬ 
stituents of the atmosphere, of the soil, of manures, 
and of the preparation of the soil upon it; and also, 
the various hindrances to vegetable development. 
“ 2. The ingredients of plants and their action on 
the animal organism. The various kinds of feed, their 
* In a conspicuous position upon the public promenade of 
Leipsic, stands a collossal bronze statue of Thaer, mounted 
on a marble, pedestal, which bears an inscriptirn to this ef¬ 
fect—“ To their honored teacher, Albrecht Tiiaer. The 
landlords of Germany, 1850.” 
composition and their valuation for the production of 
flesh, milk, wool, &c. 
“ 3. Meteorological observations. 
“ 4. The cultivation of plants here little known, and 
the determination of their value. 
“ 5. Testing of ag. implements and machines. 
“ 6. The construction of authentic tables of compar¬ 
ative numbers, having reference to all branches of ag¬ 
riculture, as for example, tables of the relative value 
of feed. 
“ The conduct of these investigations is under the 
care of a practical farmer, and of a scientific man, and 
the institution falls therefore into two divisions—that 
of practical agriculture and that of natural science. 
“The establi^- »ent is to be controlled by a Board 
of Directors, now composed of six members, viz: rep¬ 
resentatives of the three societies that contribute to its 
support, one of whom is Prof. Stockhardt —of Dr. 
Cruci'Us, a noted agriculturist and friend of the enter 
prise—of Dr. Wolff, director of the scientific, and M. 
Baehr director of the practical department. Persons 
or parties contributing $75 may be represented in the 
Board. 
“ The directors of the practical and scientific depart¬ 
ments are 'entitled to one vote each, and the other 
members to one vote for each $75 contributed by them 
or the society they represent.” 
Following the above regulations is an extended list 
of experimental investigations to be carried out during 
the year 1853. Already two extended reports have 
been published, embodying very valuable results ob¬ 
tained at this Station. At present the farm has hardly 
recovered from the neglect of its former proprietor, 
and with the exception of some fine stock, both of na¬ 
tive and foreign breeds, a fair selection of improved 
implements and the promise of good things to come, 
presents no feature that may detain us from noticing 
the scientific department. Lying low and being well 
watered, the farm has more space devoted to meadow 
than is usual here. It supports 20 cows, whose milk 
is daily sold in Leipsic. Only small portions have 
been thorough-drained; these have been peroeptibly 
improved. 
In tho scientific department there is little to attract 
the casual eye. A simply furnished laboratory, and 
instruments for meteorological observations, nearly 
