Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/507

 i of Ihe successive reports of the New-Jersey ex |)eri me nt- station shows that it lias raiJirtlj passed beyond tiial initial stage of ncnrly every American stntioii. in wbich its chief duty is the ' control ' of the traile 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- BCH being reported, and much thought having evidently been bestowed nimn the various problems arising in connection witti the equi- table sampling and valuation of lliese goods.

At the same time, this norif occupies but fifty-four pages out of a total of a lumdred and aeveiity-si^. the larger portion of the remain- der lieing token np with reports of es|>eriit)ent9 beiiring upon the broader questions of agricul- tai'nl practice.

These latter furnish an admirable illustration of the class of csiieriments 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 opiMsed to scientiQo experiments ; bnt the woiil • praelical ' lias been so wrested, in popular use, from its proper meaning of ' [Per- taining to practice,' that its use in this con- UFcliou is to be avoided.

Besides various minor matters, the most noteworthy experiments of this sort are the field ex|>erimenta upon the growth of sorghum, and the compaiison between field-corn and en- silaged fodder-corn.

In the last-named invesligation, the ques- tions proiKJsed were, the c-omparative yield of digestible food per acre, the comparative coat of gathering it and preparing it for use, its relative feeding- value, and the relative ex- haustion or the soil in the two cases. The re- sults were throughout decidedly in favor of the field-corn; Ihc grain and stalks yielding more and cheaper food per acre than the ensilaged fodder-corn, and food of equal mi Ik- producing value, pound for pound.

The report of the Ohio station, while deal- ing with different suhjeela, 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

FIA>> onn«al rrjnrt of the Xfi^rrMry .tale atrlmll^ral a- ptrimnl (Iniinn for th> ».nr 188*, Prfnctiwo, N.J., «8ftin«i.

��contain avast amount ofvalimble inrorraaiiou. The tests of methods of soem|ited ; and tlial this kind of work meets with {Kijiular 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 circum stances, 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 lime, we cannot but regret that the American stations, as a rule. many of them with reasonably ample incomes, are doing so little, comparatively, to advance the science of agriculture, Iwlleving. as we do, that ' a sound theorj- is the surest guide to a successful practice.'

��NOTES AND NEWS.

A STATOB ot Darwin, by Mr. UoBlim, R A,, Ins just been placed In the great hall of ibu Dritisli museum on Cromwell Row, and arrknsenients for ita unveiling will be made shonly. It la the gift to the nation of Ibe Darwin memorial fnnii. It is found, that, aft*r Ibe pajmetit of all expenses, over two thouoand pounds will remain, which will turm a Darwin fund, lo be transferred to llie Royal soolely. the income of which is lo be appropriated in •udi n way aa may be " best calculated to promote biological study and reiaarch."

— The Society for the prevention of crnelly lo ani- mals in the Nelherlanda lias pelllioned the govern- ment to intWMluce into [lollaiul the rules with regani to vivisection drawn up by the Prussian authorities,

— In the Spanish congress on May IS. according lo Nature, Sellor Caslelar called attention to Dr. Fer- ran's experiments in inocuUtlon against cholera, ,tiid asked the minister of Ih'! Interior to give a subven- tion to enable Dr. Ferran to continue his esperiraenrs an a larger scale. The minister, In reply, said be was unable to do so al present, but, as soon as 11 lay in his power, be would grant a sufficient sum, although, In Ills opinion, Dr. Ferraii's eiperlmenls had not yet readied a sufficient degree of certainty to prove a complete success, lie added, that a cmmisslon of medii-nl men would be appointed to visit Valencia

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