Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-11-05
Aglealtmal,
Board Of agriculture.
FIRST DAY.
"Wednesday, Oct. 20.

linIinarv business the Board adjourned till
I0A. NJ, when Prof. Goodale delivereda
lecture on the Conditions of Successful
Experimenting and OF Progress in AgrI-
cultural Science"
The President, in taking the chair. made
some interesting remarks, welcoming the
visitors to the meeting and referring very
pertinently to the objects OF the meeting
and the labor before the meeting and the
duties and position OF the farmers OF
Maine.
He then introduced Prof GOodale who
said in substance, that experiment aSr'-
culture would be the principal theme OF
his remarks Experiments in collateral
sciences have proved OF the most benefit
and bv the collateralS he means Botany,
Zoology and Chemistry. European agri.
culture has been modified To make ii OF
use in his own country. Referred to the
experimeuters in Europe and in Americs,
and the good results they produce by eX-
perimenting and making their work Of
value to the agricuIturist.
Wemust have an Independent American
agriculture. and this can be only brought
about by experiment. The definition el
an experiment is given as question pat
10 nature. be IL either botanical, a chemi-
cal or an agricultural question. There are
general and special experiments. sue
ceSSful experiment is one which forces
nature to give = direct answer-yes or No.
Nearly all that have been performed in
this country have given clEivoeal an
swerS and were therefore not successful.
Referred 10 the lecture hst winter in re-
gard to fuRSoij diseases. and the different
results OF experiments made by farmers.
Chemists DO not disagree in regard TO
Undergraduates. but farmers do. Why?
We must learn tact in asking the questions.
Cur questions must DC plain aud they
must be pointed, anl they must also bave
some special end in view. 80 i, must 0e
in agricultural experiments.
In the first place ali the conditions OF
the experiment must be carefully studied
Soil. before we can know what elements
it requires. must fir, De studied PLY sicat-
" and chem.cal,v Next, study Time aHd
seasons. Noteths qualify OF seed emp.oy-
Ell. &c. Then they are to be recorded
faithfully AMI fully. How many keep
far.n account, as the m chants keep them.
Ba. very fen. Rccorls should be made
at the time of tho experiment and not
leave it 20 the memory
Next. the results mus, be faithfully in
torpre;ed ami this Is Tie most difficult
rart. Referred 10 Mes>rs. Lawss and
Cuacyts experiments. m England, and
the valuable results accguip- thcrelrom.
They were made yarajyll aud thorough
j.. and their results were accordingly
Ne have "a agricultural college cst.3-
Asaed upon q pretty .ae foundation and
i, f., 20 it We ,aus; look Tor experiments
which shall settle many of The question,
among E.rmers-,ac value oimucA. when,
where and how il rray used. The use
O; Plaster and how il operAtyS-with all
tae dozen aud one questions coming up
in The farmers operations. We eNpec;
good results. out We must not expect too
much They need our assistance and
support
The sd iect wss then announced ss be-
fore tie meeting Tor discussion.
Hon Hannibal llau!in moved \ vote
eltuauks fog the lecture, which was CIV
Tn.
Prof. Fernald >aid:-AcknoNledged
The reference To the college. Said how
necessary it is 10 note al. the conditions
oi an experiment and that !; should Oe
faithfully and accurately reported.
Mr.. Scammon said lh,,, ninety nine out
OF every hundred OF the farmers OF Maine
l..rc neither the time, the means or the
opportunity 10 make such experiments -
haze acea referred -. IL sill DC long
time before sc shall realize what we
ntel Il the farmers wait. Individually
we may do something vet, and il viii be
almost wholly by observation. Spoke o!
the use Of plaster. On stiff, clayey loan
il i, very al,auiag eo@~, therefore he has
come 10 the conclusion from observation
that il pays for him 10 use plaster on SUcd
soil. Again has used II on sandy
soil and youuj 1t lid not tenchtiI. There
fore think, farmers may and can be doing
little even il our experiments cannot be
carried out 81 fully As recommended IN
the lecture.
In answer to question said he used
from TWO 70 ,hrre si.,,s per ,rce in in
tcrvals of from three 10 four years.
Mr. Hamlin SAID agriculture Is the most
important Of al, a.Js and We know scieu-
tifc.lly the least O. 1t, We must depend
upon other means for accuracy in expert
menls than . hat We can find in the COM
munity. There are two kinds OF expert.
ments. scientific aud practical. In our
college experiments we hope to find them
combined. Referred 10 The opposition 10
what are termed fancy farmers. and show
Cd what good and valuable results may
AMI have arisen from their experiments
even though may not have been made in
correctly scientific manner.
We must aid each other in clcvating
the minds of The community 50 thar ex-
periments may be made and accomplish
ed We must 90 it by association, 10y