The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-10-13

| morse or " COW Uihy Oc pcot iof ooiuo pat
ticular object, and at the same time be In
ferior other of the species for another OBJ
ject. Hence their merits can only be cs
tiuated in reference to specific purpose
Without some rules of this kind, awards
NAV be left entirely to the judgement OF
caprice of persons who happen to selected
for the occasion. Not only this, but the
society may even stultify itself by having
its favors bestowed on very different ami
mails or articles at different times--an incon.
sistencs which must defeat any effort an
improvement in the subject involved. e
| The proper objects Of agricultural soeie-
ties are various. The annual exhibition OF
show, though useful to certain extent, is
only one of the means of beneflting agri.
culture, and should not be permitted 10
absorb the entire effort of the association
an important and legitimate object Of such
societies is the settlement of doubtful ques
tions. These are numerous. Of particu.
lar importance md those which relate 10
the comparative advantages of different
modes Of culture for different crops on diff.
ferent soils: the comparative value and
Substances in feeding domestic animals; the
comparative value of different breeds of an
imals for different purposes and localities.
The settlement Of such question involves
too much expense for individuals to incur
but experiments might DO made in regard
to them by associations, which would elicit
many facts valuable as guides to practice
No subject relating to agriculture has Of
late years attracted more attention than
that of Agricultural Schools. am hap
py to know that one of the most encoura.
ging examples in regard to the establish
ment of such institutions, has already been
made in your own State. 1t would be pre-
sumptuous in me to proffer advice in regard
to the management of such an institution,
and few general suggestions only will he
attempted under this head.
1t is obvious, that the value Of instruction
depends on its character-its consistency
with truth. In the present imperfect state of
agricultural science, there is probably more
danger that too much will he taught, than
too ittle--that more assumption will be
made to pass as established fact. Some
things TO be sure, are settled in regard TO
agriculture, but much is yet to be learned
Agricultural schools should not only regard
the dissemination Of known truth, but
should seek TO find out new ones--atten.
ding both to the originatioD and diffusion
of knowledge. am pleased 10 see, from
the highly sensible address Of the President
Of your Agricultural College, that it is pro-
posed to make the details of instruction, as
there given, conform to experience. This
is the true course. Science with practice
---or rather science derived from practice,
should be the aim. BY the term science
is merely meant the systematic arrange
ment OF facts.
Every attempt 10 establish system of
agriculture on any other basis, must fall
as all such attempts have failed. Chem
suggestive way. but it cannot be denied
that so much has been claimed for it by
advocates whose zeal was not according to
knowledge. Il has been assumed that the
results Of chemical analysis should be ia
ken, unquaiiedly, ns the foundation of prac-
teal husdandry. These unreasonable and
unjust claims have tended to produce dis.
trust in regard to the value Of chemistry,
and the efforts TO reduce agriculture to
science. In the language Of DR.. Voelck-
er, at must be regarded as matter Of
deep regret, that the want Of caution and
modesty on the part Of scientific men, has
contributed more than prehaps any thing
else, TO bring science into discrcdit with
the agricultural public" Tic position of
DR.. Anderson, Of Edinburgh Chemical As
sociations, comprehends the proper ground
on this subject. viz: that at is the office
of chemistry 10 suggest, not TO lead, in ag-
riculture.
Experimental farms arc necessary appen-
dages of agricultural schools. They are
needed ms means Of testing theories and
elicting facts. The decrepencies between
some Of the deductions Of chemistry and
actual practice, have arendy'dccn alluded
TO. Other cases might be cited. IL was
inferred from analysis that the phosphatcs
were specially required as manure for
wheat, and that organic manures were
more particularly suited TO turnips. But
the careful experiments Of Messrs. Gilbert
and Lawes, ut Rothamatcd, have demon
ed,-wlat much previous experience
had indicatcd,-that phopbatic manurcs
are very useful for turnips, but less so for
wheat, while the latter, much moro than
the former, is benefited by ammonia.
1t has been supposed that chemical an
alysis Of soils would be Of great service in
practical view, and some writers have gone
so far as to lay it down one Of the "ele-
ments" of agriculture that. no system Of
hustandry could be formed without this as
its basis. Yet experiment has shown that
an application of supcr-phospbatc Of lime
TO the soil. equivalent TO fifty pounds Of
phosphoric acid to the acre, made differ
cnce in the crop (turn!ps) Of more than
nine tons per ncie, though the most skillful
analysis could not detect any difference in
the soil. Such facts show that the analy
sis is in the language Of Baussingault,
"more curious than useful" The analysis
of manuros is different matter. In re-
gard to coils, good chemist (Mr. Harris,
Of Gencsee Farmer) has said-"An acre Of
soil seven inches deep, weighs at least two
million pounds. Fifty pounds Of phospho-
ric acid would be one part in forty thou
sand. Such D minute quantity is for be-
yond tho range Of quantiiativc analysis"