OF THE Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. CORPORATION: The BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. Agricultural (Station) Committee of the Board of Trustees: Ex-officio, Hon. FRANK BROWN, Governor, President of the Board. Messrs. SMITH, VANDIVER, GOLDSBOROUGH, JONES AND SEIBERT. OFFICERS AND STAFF: HENRY E. ALVORD, C. E., Director. Jos. R. OWENS, M. D., Treasurer. LOCATION. On the Estate of the MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, in Prince George's County, eight miles north from the City of Washington. RAILROAD STATION, for Passengers and Freight: COLLEGE STATION, MD. (On the Baltimore & Ohio R. R.) P. O. COLLEGE PARK, Prince George's Co., Maryland. TELEGRAPH ADDRESS.-COLLEGE, MD. (Western Union Tel. Co.) EXPRESS OFFICE.-COLLEGE STATION, MD. (United States Express Co.) Address, in all cases MD AGR'L EXPERIMENT STATION. The Constitution gives to Congress the power to encourage the progress of science and useful arts. Under conditions favored by this authority the effect of American genius can be seen upon the civilization and enlightenment of the world. To our inventors belong the steam-ship that now plies over the great International race-course between the nations of the earth; -the railroad, connecting the distant parts of this and other countries, almost within a day's travel; the telegraph, by which the continents are united in conversation, and other important applications of electricity. Acting under this same authority, Congress has made grants to the different States, at various times, for the establishment and maintenance of agricultural colleges and experiment stations. So that now nearly fifty States and Territories have availed themselves of this *This paper was prepared and read by Mr. Ray, a member of the graduating class of the Maryland Agricultural College, at the Commencement Exercises, June 15th, 1892. As it contains "useful agricultural information" closely related to the work of this institution and which it is desirable to "diffuse among the people," in accordance with provisions of law, it is adopted and distributed by this Station, as a Special Bulletin. HENRY E. ALVORD, Director. advantage. In these schools are taught those subjects pertaining most to the science and art of agriculture. From the experiment stations are given out the result of laborious trials and research, to enlighten the agriculturist upon those lines most needed for his prosperity and advancement. But in comparing our system, though an admirable one, with those of European countries, where agricultural education has long been fostered by the different governments, we find ours lacks that centralization and completeness which characterizes the countries of Europe. Each has a system of its own, differing widely from the others, yet each tending toward the same end and so successful in its results that the face of nature itself has been changed, and the barren lands and sodden wastes have been transformed into the very gardens of the world. In looking at the system in Germany we are struck in the first place with its completeness. A Central Bureau presiding over the whole, three or perhaps four intermediate stages, leading up to the rounded whole in the university, each a link in the chain, complete in itself, yet absolutely necessary to advance to a higher grade. A school, with open doors, awaits the seeker after knowledge at every stage of intellectual development, but they are not merely for these, for by requirement of law the children of the lower classes are gathered into schools conducted at night to suit their pleasure and peculiar needs. It is to be noted in relation to this system, that while the cost for instruction in agriculture is small to pupils of little preliminary training, the Government insists upon the longest possible drill in disciplinary studies of general nature. "This is, perhaps, one reason why the agricultural colleges of our own country have failed to accomplish all that was expected of them. They have aimed at a higher education, when no provision had been made for the lower. They have tried to turn out men fitted to take the lead in agricultural pursuits, when these same men were incapable, from lack of previous training, to adequately profit by the instruction offered them." But in Germany a person may close his training at any grade; he always finds himself fitted for some special work by a schooling which has been acquired by logical sequence. No gaps have been left unbridged,-no intermediate field left unexplored. He leaves school fitted for work according to the stage of his ad *President Goodell. vancement. There are thus, essentially, five different grades of schools in which practical and scientific agriculture is taught, arranged according to the mental maturity of the student. Along side of the graded system, is a system of special schools of a still more practical nature, including such as schools of domestic economy and fruit culture. A strong belief prevails among the Germans, that theory should not be united with practice, and that the best agricultural teaching can be done in colleges and universities. One of the leading advantages of these schools, is the fact that while the lower are compulsory, the higher are voluntary and left to the option of the student. These are the prominent features of one of the best agricultural educational systems, and in taking it up in detail we find presiding over the whole, a Minister of Agriculture, with an Advisory Board, composed of those graduates from universities, who have studied as overseers, renters, foresters, or who have paid particular attention to the subject of taxation of property. These lay out and prescribe the course of study to be pursued in the Government schools. A marked contrast to the American system where every school works independent of any other and is required only to report upon its work to the State Legislature. Co-operating with these schools are the agricultural societies, whose ramifications reach every part of the empire, by means of lecturers who travel from place to place, discussing just such topics as will be of practical benefit to the farmer. In addition to these schools are the large number of agricultural experiment stations, of which there are to-day one hundred and fortyeight in Europe and seventy-two of these within the German Empire. The first was established at Möckern in 1852. In all, there are in Germany not less than one hundred and eighty-four agricultural colleges and experiment stations, whose duty it is not only to study all that can be learned of the capacity of the soil and the methods of renewing and enriching it, but to bring the results of the experiments to the home of every farmer in the land. Thus Germany stands to-day supporting a population of over 47,000,000 with 213 to the square mile and 19,000,000 engaged in agricultural pursuits. The almost universal testimony of those in charge is, of a beneficial effect upon the peasants. Better crop rotations have been put in practicehand labor has given way to improved machinery-the product to the |