Rio Grande republican. (Las Cruces, N.M.) 1881-1914, 1889-05-04
EXPERIMENT STsTIOiS.
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF TIE xoYE.
MENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
RIrst Iustitatsd Fourteca Years Ago
To-Day FOrty-Six in
Operation.
Br 4. c. rRuK, ri. D.

In the United Siatcs,a IN Europe,
the hrst organized experimental
work in agriculture! sefetreee was
done in connection with the higher
educationaI institutions.
Ii is claimed that Y4le College
was the first American Institution to
officially recognize the claims oi asri-
cultural sr;enee. In 1916 John 2.
Norton was appointed professor OF
agricultural chemistry and vegetable
and animal physlalosy. Professor
Norton began hrs lectures in lS4T,
and during the Eve years witseh in
tefTebed before h;s death he sisa
wrote extenstEVty fVr agricMTNTHl
iournals, edited an American edtsian
Of stevens on the Farm" aud puh.
lshed work of his 0wA entitled
sElements Of Agra u.trre." After
the faDd which 5sl been established
BY the sale u The lard s,Tiil donated
10 ConneciieGI a.sici tbs at Uf con
gross II july z. 1852, bad ocen given
10 the Sheffield Scientific School Of
Yale Col!egS ih 1853, a probe ser OF
agriculture wasNAided to the work
ing force OF that institution. S;sntfte4
W. johnson, u. ~, the successor OF
Professor Norton as professor Of
theoretical aud -4gTicnItaraI chemls,
try, and William II. Brewer, Ph. b.,
the professor OF agriculture, have for
isany years taken al active interest
in all work for the promotion Of
agricultural sciencc ~ C5HBe6Ueut
ard elsewhere 10 the United States,
Under their direction experimental
work for tho benefit Of agriculture
was carried on 20 limited extent
at New Havca more than twenty
years ago, and it is dou btltss safe 10
say that '.thIongh the Influence OF
the professors and pupils trajned in
this school, more than TO any other
single cause, is due The recognition
Of the importance OF the establish.
ment OF agricultural cxperimcntsta-
tioDs, first in Connecticut, and sub
sequently throughout the whole
country.
10 1870 the president and fellowA
Of Harvard College began TO organ,
izS the school Oh sgriculture and her
ticulture which had been provided
for in the viii Of Mr.. BENJAMIN Bus
sey, Of Roxbury,l Mass. This inter
cst:ng document was signed July 80,
1885, and was proved soon after the
death, OF the testat0r in 1872 II be-
queathcd half OF tho income OF about
100000 and 200 acres of land IN
Roxbury 10 the President and Eel
lows Of Harvard College, on eoBdi-
ton that they establish on the farm
"a course OF instruction in practical
agriculture, in useful aud ornamental
gardening, in botany. aud IN such
other branches Of natural science as
may tend TO promote knowledge Of
practical agriculture aud the various
arts subservlent thereto" Owing 10
other provisions OF the will, II was
not deemed advis ahle 10 begin The
formation of the Bussey institution
earlier than 1870. In tho same year
the trustees Of tho Massachusetts so
ciciy for Promoting Agriculture
granted TO the corporation OF Har-
ward College considerable sum "ior
the support OF laboratory aud ior
experiments in agricultural el'etfiis-
Try, 10 be conducted on the Busscy
estate" The laboratory OF the he"
institution was not ready for oecn-
patton until the last week IN ls4I
AS soon ~ 1t was completed, how
ever, agricultural researches were
begun by +. II. Sturcr, tho professor
OF agricultural chemistry, and bis as
AistHnts. The first report OF tina
work was presented 10 a commAtee
Of the trustees ut the Massachusetts,
Society for Prometing Agriculture,
lDseenabor 8, 1871. s.Fhe experiments
consisted Of field tesis Of fertilizers
upon tho farm 6f tire institutions and
chemical Analyses Of commercial fer
tillEers. Other interesting aud vat
Habla Woyk waa a orf ~, the next Hssx