Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-03-20
EXPERIMENT STATION.

efforts in the cultivation Of the soil TO money
account. but their success depended more
upon the kind of products they cultivated
than upon their ingenuity in the culture.
Wine and silk have been for the past half,
and we may say whole century, in measure
a monopoly, of which the French have held
a large and profitable share. Unfortunately
for France and her culturists. these two In
dustries are at present decidedly on the de-
cline in that country. The wine interests are
suffering from the yigor and destructive pow
ers of an insect that lives on the ife-blood OF
the grape vines, while the silk interests are
suffering from the opposite cause, or the
want of vigor in another insect that lives on
the mulberry. The phylloxera are too Wig
orous for the viticulturists, while the Serica-
ria mort are too feeble for the sericulturists,
and hence the prosperity of France suffers.
The Germans, on the other hand, are in the
midst of great agricultural prosperity, and
for this prosperity Germany is indebted to
great extent to the direction given her agri-
culture by exper mental stations located in
ural stations are not only practical schools
to the young farmers, but as well to the old
farmers, for the reason that they are con-
stantly bringing up and testing new cultures
and improving old methods. They also are
great economic institutions, inasmuch as they
test questions at small expense for the benefit
OF all interested The beet sugar industry,
which is of such great benefit to German
agriculture we'll be said to have been origi
mated or introduced into Germany by the ex-
detrimental stations. With these stations in
SO many localities, the farmers are kept con-
stsntly informed as to what their soil is best
adapted to produce, and individuals are not
under the necessity of expensive risks in con-
Quoting experiments on their own account.
If these stations have done and are do
ing SO much for German agriculture,
when the soil and climate of the
whole country have so much sameness, what
might they not do for California, where we
have so much variation in soil and climate?
The Agricultural Department of our State
University is doing what it can to supply the
wants of the farmers of the State in the way
of tests of soil and experimental cultures,
but it labors under the disadvantages of being
located in climate unlike that of any other
section of the State, and of having a soil to
deal with which requires treatment
needed in but few other localities. But few
of the most valuable fruits to California can
be made to thrive in the cold, chilly winds
entering the Golden Gate and falling upon
the grounds of Berkeley, without protect on
from the open air. The same is true of many
of the field crops which have proved the most
profitable in many sections OF the State. La
boring under these natural disadvantages,
but little should be expected of this depart
ment in the way of practical and really valua-
BILE experiments in culture. Professor Hill
gard is fully alive to the difficulties arising
from these causes, under which he labors, as
will be seen from the following remarks in
his annual report to the Board of Regents.
He says:
In the matter of testing and introduction
of new cultures possibly adapted to some OF
the various climates of California, we labor
under the disadvantage Of location In one
of the extreme regions. However tempered
by distance and by the proximity of the
mountains, the fogs and chilly winds entering
the Golden Gate still render it impossible, C..
o., to ripen the grape or fig at Berkeley, in
the open ground, or to get boil of cotton to
open in season to be useful as crop. For
such cases as these our only plan Is to raise
the plants under shelter, as far as possible,
and then to distribute them for trial to intel
ligent persons in the several portions of the
State where it may be presumed that their
culture may he successful. In so doing we
intend carefully to keep hands off anything
that is already in the possession of seedsmen
and nurseries, and upon the introduction of
any new plant, to cease its distribution so
soon as it may fairly be considered as having
passed into the category of received varieties.
unless it be for purposes or veritcatlon OF
kinds. Our work is, in any case, SO wide as
to render it undesirable to go beyond the
point when experiment ceases and CONNER
cial culture begins.
The facts so fully realized by the Professor
and referred to in the above extract have led
him earnestly to urge, from year to year, the
Importance of establishing definite exper-
iment stations in the several climatic regions
of the State, all to cooperate with the Agri-
cultural Department of the University.
Such stations cannot, in the nature
of things, be made self sustaining.
All experience has shown that in pecuniary
point of consideration experimental farms
are failures. Experimental farms also lose
half their possible value unless conducted in
conjunction or CO operation with experimental
1ah hp II
chemist and the practical farmer, in order to
work to the best advantage, should be close
together, and go hand in hand; and In the
possibility Of doing this to the best advantage
lies the great value of agricultural sta
tons located in the several climatic regions
of great State like California. While the
National Congress shows a disposition to
favor the execution of some plan for render
ing greater assistance to the farmers of our
State than can be done by or through the
medium of the Agricultural Department at
Washington, our State Legislature should
also give the subject its consideration and
timely aid. As the farmers would receive
the greatest share of the direct benefits to
result from the establishment of such sta
tons it Is but natural that a move for the
purpose should originate with them; and
we are glad to give the State Grange the
credit of having at its last session brought
this subject to the attention of the public and
our Representatives in Congress. We hope
they will now follow it up until some practi-
cal results shall ensue.
THE CROPS AND TIE WEATHER.
We have just experienced eof the best sus-
tanned northers We remember to have passed