The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24
And the First to Receive Recognition by Any
State Legislature.
The Popularity of its Work is Shown by the Fact that in
Proportion to the Population, it Has a Larger Mail
ing List than Any Other Experiment
Station in he United States.

RELATION OF THE STATION TO
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Although the Station is under the con-
troll of Board of Trustees appoined by
State authorities, yet the Federal Gov
ernment exercises a supervision over its
work and expenditures, and causes an
inspection to be made each year by an
official representative.
A report as to the work of each Sta
ton is transmitted to Congress each year
by the Secretary of Agriculture. The
Secretary is endcayoring to bring these
Stations into closer touch With one an
other and with the United States De-
partment of Agriculture, and to make
the work of each conform more nearly
TO the purposes expressed in the Act of
Congress. The Secretary has found it
necessary to make rulings against main
tanning sub-stations. ordinary or even
model farms. information bureaus and
chairs of instruction from the appro-
priations made by the Hatch Act.
The work Of Experiment Stations is
outlined in section two of the Act of
Congress of March 2, 1887, in the fol-
lowing words:
THAT it shall be the object and duty
of experiment stations TO conuuct orr
ginal researches or verify experiments ON
the physiology of plants and animals;
the diseases to which they are severally
subject, with the remedies for the same;
the chemical composition of useful plants
at their different stages of growth; the
comparative advantages of rotatiye crop
ping as pursued under varying series
of crops; the capacity of new plants or
trees for acclimation; the analysis of
soils and water; the chemical compost
tion of manures, natural or artificial.
with experiments designed to test their
comparative effects on crops of different
kinds; the adaptation and value of grass
es and forage plants; the composition
and digestibility of the different kinds
of food for domestic animals; the scien-
tific and economic questions involved in
the production of butter and cheese; and
such other researches or experiments
bearing directly on the agricultural i'm
dustry of the United States as may in
each case be deemed advisable, having
due regard to the varying conditions and
needs of the respective States and Ter
ritories.''
GROWTH OF THE NORTH CARO-
LIMA STATION.
Director Ledoux in his report for 1870
says Of the equipment he had i'll begin
ming his work:
Il was given a table in the quantita
tive analysis room among the students,
and gas. water balances. reagents, bot
ties and some apparatus were placed at
my disposal The Station work was
begun, therefore, with one man, with one
table and part of one room at his dis
posal The University very soon as
signed more ample apartments to tho
Station and the State Department of
Agriculture provided equipment. Ii
soon became necessary for the Director
to have assistants in order to answer the
many calls made upon his energies, and
the Board of Agriculture provided these
assistants.
The Station began its work in
chemical laboratory, and although CO
operative field experiments were con-
Quoted, and although some work was
done i'm the way of seed testing yet the
growth of the Experiment Station fer
several years was mainly along chemi-
cal lines. The Station turned its at
tention at first most wisely to the Fer
tilizer Control, following the lead of the
Connecticut Station. as well as of the
first Station established in Germany. 1t
is impossible to oyer-estimate the amount
saved to the farmers by preventing fraud
in their Fertilizers.
##
While the Station work in the labora-
tory was we'll done, and commended
itself most favorably to the people of
the State, it was felt that far more
effective work could be accomplished for
the farmers of the State by the estab
lishment of an experimental farm. For
experimental purposes few acres of
land were purchased on the Hillsboro
road just west Of the Fair Grounds. In
April, 1886, Professor Milton Whitney,
of the Connecticut Experiment Station,
and a former student at Johns Hopkins
University, entered upon his duties as
Agricultulist. and thus the Agricultul-
Al Division was established. Professor
Whitney was succeeded by Professor j.
II. Chamberlain, of New York. a gradu-
ate of Cornell University. and he in turn
by Professor Frank f.. Emery.
In December. 1856, the State Weather
Service, operated in conjunction with the
United States Signal Service. was es-
tablished in connection with the Expert
ment Station. This connection was sew
cred on October /, 1896. when the North
Carolina Section of the Climate and
Crop Service. which succeeded to the
duties OF the Division, was established
under the direct management Of the
United States Weather Bureau
On October /, 1888 the Botanical III
vision Of the Station was established
10y the appointment Of Professor Gerald
Mccarthy as Botanist. Professor Nc
Carthy performed temporarily, for
awhile, the chronological work Of the
Station, and at later date this work