Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-10-19

| ulScuSSeQ-aS LABOR, time ana all the Otler ele
ments which, beside money itself, affect the cos
or proht OF an operation and admit OF being ex
pressed In the form of money, We have con
stantly to make our calculations on the basis o
dollars and cents And in these calculations
as In the more general reasoning of which We
have been speaking, it is quite possible and In
deed not uncommon tor intelligent men in va
rious ways to deceive themselves. Thus, much
confusion as to the money results of farming
operations IS very often introduced by failure
to keep clearly distinct the expenditure which
IS properly involved IN the working of the land
itself which goes to make the CROP or to keen
the farm up to its original standard of con
dition, from that which properly falls under
the head of personal or family support and the
improvement of the plantation.
Again, the extent of absolute original outlay
upon any proposed operation is often dwelt up
Oh, and such outlay declared to be extravaganza
and ruinons, without the comparison between
this outlay and the profit which it is capable OF
yielding having ever been fairly examined 70
say that horse and plough cost more than a
spade IS true, but does not prove that 1t is
cheaper to break up large piece of land with
the latter rather than the former Yet men
who admit the absurdity of such statement
as this will be found to argue in very similar
manner against the use Of more modern and
highly improved implements for agricultural
operations. simply objecting to them that they
are costly, when the real question to be consid-
cred Is whether, notwithstanding their cost, the
work done by them is on the whole done SO
much more cheaply than by older tools as to
leave balance of profit. The period of such
| Outcry against the great cost of deep tillage
and subterranean tile drainage will no doubt in
time pass by in this country as it has already
done In several OF the older countries of Eu-
rope, and the real economic Importance of such
practice be recognized here as there. All these
financial calculations to be reliable must be pre-
ceded by correct knowledge of the natural
facts and principles involved. If we go on to
our reckoning of money results without this
knowledge we are very apt to find ourselves in
voved in blunders and failure, but, on the 9TH
er hand, if we neglect to duly weigh the money
relations OF the questions before us, We are
equally likely to end with heavy loss and disap-
| pointment.
! If field were eopously manured with phos-
/ phate of ammonia, nitrate of potash, suphate
of magnesia and sulphate of lime, all pur-
chased IN chemically pure state from drug
store, tne crops could undoubtedly be made
upon it, but the prices at which such pure ma
terials are necessarily sold would utterly pre-
clude the chance of any money profit or of
even repaying the outlay. On the other hand,
one may buy fertilizer strongly recommended
| Wy IT'S dppdIeut CHedpueSS lIS low prlCe-auu
! find out that it is extravagantly dear, that the
money spent upon it has been thrown away-if
its composition be not such as to really benefit
the land to which 1t is supplied, at any rate to
an extent bearing sensible proportion to the
outlay.
| This is just the point at which to recur to
| what was remarked at the outset, that In the eff
forts heretofore made for the advancement of
| agriculture there has been an unfortunate want
| OF concert between men of science working III
the laboratory and farmers working in the field.
There has been tendency on the part OF the
scientific investigator to look upon the farmer
as man ob,tlnately resolved to carry odt bllGd-
| ly the mere routine he has always been accus-
toned to, refusing to adopt any improvement
suggested to him on the ground Of general
principle, and careless about knowing the rea
son OF anything that he does or neglecJs to do
The farmer, IN turn, Is very generally disposed
to regard the man OF scientific research an
| impractical visionary, who in his enthusiasm
| for his experiments cares nothing as to whether
he himself, or any OF his friends, foolish enough
| to be guided by hlu, are ruined or not, and
who, though one may harmlessly indulge him
by listening to his iancful notions, is the very
| last man in the world to take counsel with on
any question of sober business life, upon the
decision Of which the support of ones family
may depend.
| There is doubtless some foundation of truth
! for both these views, but there Is no natural
necessity that either OF them should be correct.
There are none of the results of scientific re-
search bearing upon agriculture which cannot
be perfectly understood and practical use made
OF them, by any man OF average intelligence,
| if only he be willing to devote a very moderate
amount OF time and attention TO their study and
| begin that study at the right end.
| Men Of ordinary intelligence do master these
subjects as matters Of general interest.
There is nothing in a farmers occupation to
render HIM less capable than other people of
being so, and certainly he has stronger motives
| than others to lead his attention In this direc-
/ ton. And there Is also no reason that man
| shall be totally incapable OF considering ques
tlons involving money prudence because he de-
votes his attention mainly TO science for its own
sake--that he shall be so wrapped up in alb
stract research over crucibles and test-tubes as
to have no ears for the experience of others
working upon the large scale with the plough
| and the sickle. 1t is extremely unfortunate tor
| the progress of any branch ofindustry that SCI
enthc research in connection with it and the
| actual practice of the art itself should be alto
gether in different hands. What would be the
success in the business Of DYER What would
/ be his chance of keeping up with the progress
of his art, and especially what prospect would
he have of himself making any Improvement,
if be were totally ignorant OF the real nature of
the material employed by him or of the chan
ges they undergo In passing through his hands?
| And Of what valae to such manufacturer
would be the scientific knowledge or advice of
a man we'll acquainted with these materials and
processes, bul ignorant of their cost and of the
kind OF results demanded by the trade?
| But there is scarcely any pursuit so injurious
| ly affected as agriculture by such separation
OF the knowledge acquired by scientific research
and by routine practice OF the art.
The greatest difficulty in the way of deter
mining questions relating to agriculture consists
| in the very great number OF conditions which
are involved In every experiment. The mere
fact that field has been treated in particular
way and that good Or bad harvest follows
are By no means proof that the treatment
adopted has been the cause of the result OBJ
served. The latter might have turned out ex-
actly the same if there had been no popularity
OF practice, or at any rate the effect produced
may have been greatly modified by the nature
of the soil, the choice of a high or a low-lying
| piece of ground, the character OF the season,
/ the kind of seed used, the time and weather
/ for harvesting, the treatment OF the land In 1or
mer years. and hundred other causes. ln a
word, We see only the general result Of all the
concurring Influences that have borne upon the
cultivated plaat lii all its stages, and cannot at
once separate from all the rest, the one cond-
ton whose effect we wish to examine. e
As observed before, it is only by multiplying
and re-mutiplying experiments of this kind,
and by extending the scale upon which they are
made that 1t becomes possible gradually to ar
i rive at positive conclusions, upon what future
practice may be safely based. Such experiments,
| IL q 4