The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-09-19
TME SCHOOL oY EXPERIENCE.

PRACTICAL wisdom in the art Of aori
culture Is only to be learned in fhe
school OF experience. Essays and trea-
tises, books and papers, precepts and
instructions are useful as far as they
g, but without personal contact with
the task in hand, without the discipline
OF the real farmers life, they remain II
the nature Of theory only. And vet
life is not long enough to satisfy anv
intelligent person with the measure of
DIS own attainment. We must profit
by carefully observing the experiences
ana practices Of those Of our own craft
IS well as the results Of our own linn,
tied circle Of operations. Contact will,
others Is also requisite to enable a man
% know himself. Tits only by mixing
freely IN the world about us that We
can form a proper estimate Of our own
capacity. Without such experience one
y apt to become selfish, conceited and
Ignorant. Any one who would profit
6y experience win never be above ak
ing for information from others He
who fancies himself already too wise 20
learn OF others will never succeed IN
work. '''-'
In no occupation is cooperation,
comparison Of views, methods and re.
suits, mutual conferences and discus
sions, 20 essential to- success a. in the
practice OF agriculture. Pre-emiuentIv
an art Of unrecorded experiences. hus-
bandry IN the future will only develon
INTO remunerative business in uropor-
ton a. its followers note their expert
enees for the benefit Of the craft as well
as for individual gain. Experiments
upon single crop under special condi-
tons are Of little value standing alone ::
yet IN the aggregate of experiments.
carefully conducted and intelligently
studied, Is to come the progressive and
enlightened culture of the future. The
man made wise by experience Is apt TO
judge correctly Of the things which
come under his daily observation. Com
mon sense is, generally speaking, but
the result Of common experience wisely
improved, and its acquisition is less a
matter Of great ability than the exer-
cise OF patience, accuracy, industry and
watchfulness. Many Of the sonndest
and most sensible people to be met with
are intelligent men Of the world who
argue from what they actually see and
know, instead of inventing improbable
thsories of what things ought 10 be, or
spinning cobweb distinctions between
unimPortant conditions.
The practical deduction we would
draw from the above considerations Is
that progressive agriculture can best be
advanced and encouraged through a
systematic round Of experiments, par
tietpafea IN BY q large number Of farm
eEs n each State, under the supervision
of State agrisnl1asal oEliciaf or State
ssHlzural society whose duty Il
80 - ~ collect md classify the IN.
dlvlduA experiences of many FARMERS,
ell working in accordance with some
fixed plan. Thus at limited expense.
and from the school Of experience,
could important problems be solved and
valuable facts ELECTED. Far better an
outlay In this direction than in sustain
ing expensive exhibitions that aim at
no positive advance in knowledge, and
strive to amuse and entertain rather
than to instruct or elevate. It is a sad
commentary on the value and efficiency
Of farmers fairs, agricultural societies,
individual experiments, scholarly theo-
ries, chemists formulas, ponderous vol
umes Of reports and State appropria-
tons, that so many important practical
questions are still unanswered. The
impartial observer can but arrive at the
conclusion that a wiser course in the
search for knowledge would be found
in the more earnest cultivation of the
school Of experience.