Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-24
Experiments.

Experiments.
Many discoveries of scientific men which
have proved Of incalculable advantage to
mankind have been the results of patient,
careful and long continued experiments.
Time, toll and trouble were freely given by
the experimenters, while ridicule and re-
proach were too often given by those for
whose benefit the experiments are made.
But while some experiments have proved Of
value, many have proved utter failures serV-
ing only to demonstrate the impracticability
of the projectors plans. So it is on the
farm. Very many experiments seem to be
nothing but failures, and those who have
made them, at the expense OF time and toll,
feel mortified and discouraged by their want
of success. This ought not to be the case,
for the failure of one man may prove bene
fit to many others. If one man conducts
with skill and care a series of experiments
with some imported or manufactured fertil-
izer and proves that it is not worth one half
of its cost, he loses money, but his loss will
prevent, in the aggregate, far greater loss
by others. In this way, although his
periments are failures as far as making mon
ey is concerned, he becomes public bene-
factor. He is enabled to avoid in future
what has proved to be an Improbable bust
ness, and he enables others to reach the same
reult without the labor and expense of max
ing the experiments for themselves. If, on
the other hand, his experiment proves sue
cessful in a pecuniary point of view, he not
only tenefts himself but also has the op-
portunity to benefit others by his labors
The man who demonstrates the fact that
wheat can be proftably grown upon land
which had been supposed to be unsuited to
it's production is a public benefactor. In
our native town there is large tract of land,
owned by manufacturers, which had never
been plowed and which was supposed to be
too cold and wet for the production of Indian
corn. At length one farmer determined to
see if corn would grow on the fat" lie
put lot of manure on the land, plOwed and
planted it. Old farmers shook their heads
They were confident that no corn could be
raised on that land. But corn was raised
there, a good crop too The fact was de-
monstrated that the land which had been
held in so low repute was worthy of cult
walton. Other farmers followed the example
Of this pioneer, and now for twenty years
many men have raised corn on that tract of
land, and there has never been failure OF
the crop. Such instances prove that expert
ments are sometimes of great use to the man
who makes them, as well as to bis more eau
tious neighbors. There is, of course, some
risk IN making experiments. The very name
indicates venture, something possible but
not certain to be attained. But it is neces-
sary to make some ventures to know what
we are capable of doing, and it is better to
try, even though we sometimes fail TO &C
complish all we hope to do, than to sit down
contented without making any effort to i'm
prove our condition.
But experiments should be made on a small
scale Thus to save expense and possible
loss. If a farmer wishes to experiment with
a new variety of corn that has not been
thoroughly tested in his locality, it will be
much better for him to plant only a little OF
it the first year than at once 10 enter largely
upon its cultivation. If it yields good crop
he can plant more the next year If not,
the less he has of it the better One great
trouble with experlmenters has been they
have tried to do too much at a time. They
were not content to experiment on a small
scale but invested too largely in uncer-
talnties, and thus often lost time and money.
Another trouble, and one which has caused
a great deal of Disappointment in the culture
of field crops, has been the diminished pro-
duction of crops when planted in the field
from what they yielded while being tested.
The cause of this is often obvious. A man
receives a package of seeds from the Patent
Office, or from some friend at distance,
sows them in his garden, takes good care of
the advantage of a rich soil and
thorough culture, and as a result, obtains
an astonishing crop The next year he
plants his remarkable variety of grain or
vegetable in the field and gives it only
field culture the same as he gives his other
crops The result is a very much smaller
crop than he expected. The benefit of the
large crop or the fault of the diminished one
may neither of them have been due to any
I H. - =. Il
soil and thorough culture which produced
the large crop IN the first instance and the
want of these which gave diminished crop
| IN the last. 1t is always best when expert
mentlng with field crops to give them only
the ordinary field culture which they receive
when planted on large scale. If this were
done disappointment would be often avoided
By conducting experiments in proper man
ner, and on a small scale, they will be useful
to the one who conducts them aod also to
many others who prefer to obtain their
knowledge second hand. Since " to do good
and communicate " is enjoined upon US both
as privilege and duty, it is not only well
TO conduct experiments. but after they are
completed and the results can be definitely
stated, to give briet report 10 the agricui-
tural papers. This will require but little
| trouble while it will greatly extend the in
huence which the farmer can exert. One
caution on this point. Give the record of
your failures as well as your success Tell
US plainly what you did and how you went
to work to do it. If you have succeeded
others may follow the same path to success.
| If you have failed your experience NAV
| prove warning to others and induce them
to pursue different course. Therefore.
not only for the personal benefit to be de
rived from it, but also for the good which it
Will enab !e him to do to Others we would
recommend the farmer to pursue systematic
course of experiments on his farm WORKING
Farmer.