The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-08
Vermont Experiment Station.

The experiment station at Mddlebury il
the result of the action of the Vermont
board of agriculture taken at a meeting
held at Pomfret, Feb. 3, 1876; at which
meeting the establishment Of such sta
ton was considered, ard the sutj >ined re-
port submitted By committee created to
give expression TO the views of the board :
''The committee appointed to consider
the subject Of an experiment station in
Vermont have given to the subject the con-
sideration which its importance demands,
and unanimously 1mmend that the Yer
mont board OF agriculture do establish the
second experiment station on this CONT
nent aud We eubmit TO the board the fol-
lowing preamble and vote, the passage Of
which VIC recommend:
Whereas, There are many questions
which need to be determined by accurate
and cNeful experiments, aud
"WAoTeas, Professor Henry NJ. Seely,
of Mlddlebury, has signified his willingness
to give without remuneration a portion of
his time TO such Investigations and expert
menls. theref ,rc it is
"Toted, That the Vermont board OF ag-
riculture, manufactures and mining do e.
tablish the Vermont experiment station, to
be under the control of this board, and that
the same be placed in the charge Of Prof.
Henry NJ. Seely, as superintendent.
"Toted That the superintendent be au-
thorlzed to make, or cause to be made by
others, such Investigations and experiments
as shall seem to him likely to simplify and
explain the relations of science to agricul-
ture, make additions to our knowledge and
skill In the cultivation of the soil and rails
ing and care of stock, and protect US from
fraud and imposition. Such Investigations
TO be without expense to the board, or the
station.
sc. HORACE HUBBARD, for Com.
The report of the committee was
adopted and the votes unanimously passed.
AS expressed by a member of the board,
"although the work to be accomplished
must necessarily be small when compared
TO that Of stations endowed and sustained
by government patronage and individual
liberality, much can be done enough, we
doubt not, to prove that this field OF labor
is one which ought not to he neglected"
The farm must always be the observa-
ton station at which experiments on the
practical scale will be made, yet the farmer
will welcome all aid which may come TO
him as the result of work conducted with
accuracy, system and method, whether IN
der the direction of an agricultural college,
society, board, station, or performed by n
private individual.
With the hope of adding something to
the general fund OF agricultural science,
and especially of elucdatipg some points
of especial interest to the people of our
atate, the work of the station has been en-
tered upon.
Other tban original investigations may
properly be undertaken at an agricultural
station. Good, and perhaps the best, SER
vice can be performed by cleaning valuable
facts known TO the few and sowing them
among the many. 1t is not 10 be expected
that all which is offered the agricultural
public as ii yearly harvest in the form OF
crude theories and bold speculations will
be bodily separated from the stubble,
threshed and winnowed--this work would
be quite too great. But facts of perma-
nent value may be selected and disseminate
ed to the advantage of the farmer
FERTILIZERS.
Among the most valuable contributions
made by science TO the agrculturist is the
knowledge of the true character of the
commercial fertilizers offered by importers
and manufactures. Opportunities for falls
iflcation are many, means Of ready detec.
ton few. A chemical ANALYSIS is the only
test practicable. Agricultural societies and
boards early saw the necessity of helping
the farmer in determining the value of The
fertilizers he was to buy. The Oversight,
which such bodies have exercised, has nc
doubt saved the county thous inds and
thousands of dollars that would otherwise
have been sunk in the purchase of worth
less articles, In the manufacture and sale
the general results has been most satlsfac
tory. Articles of no value have been driv
en- from the market. Fair mind d and hon
est manu- tclurers are more careful in thell
methods and endeavor to give an article OF
uniform composition, frequently oiferinC
with the sale TO guaranty their wares.
The Vermont state board from the be-
ginning appreciated the necessity OF con
trolling as far as possible the character o
the fertilizers put upon sale, being quite
unwilling that the vaueless, falsified, o.
deterlorated materials rejected by Othe
states where oversight is had, should find (
market here. Though the individual mem
bers of the board have been wholly chang
ed, still a uniform course has been pur
sued and the good work has gone steadily
on. Under the direction of Professor Col
lier, the former secretary, they have from
time to time gathered from various source
the different ferti zers offered for sale with
in the state. and have submitted these I,
chemical analysis. No better evidence O.
the wisdom of This course is needed thai
that afforded by the fact that the average
value of the fertilizers now offered in mar
ct ia over thrty-three per cent. greater thai
when the first analyses were undertaken
These careful analyses by Professor Collie
have been of more value than can be wei
estimated. The improvement in the char
acter Of these fertilizers is largely due t.
the scrutiny to which they have been sub
jected. The inducement to put upon thu
market an article of no value is largely re
moved, as the attempt to do SO is liable t
be detected at the outset.
1t is thought it will be timely servic'
to the farmer to put before him in con
densed form the excellent work of Protes
sor Collier, that at glance he may know
the value Of the different fertilizers as re
vealed by chemical analysis. These re