Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-03-04
Agricultural.



Agricultural experiment stations in Ameri
ca are as yet only commencing operations
The FIRST one in this country was started les
than four years ago, ct New Haven, unde
the charge Of Prof S. W. johnson the sec
ond, at Chapel Hin, North Carolina. Anoth
er has been established at New Brunswick
New Jersey, under the direction Of DIR. Georg,
II. Cook. Georgia has one station, and q sec
ond one is proposed. Several other states are
taking measures to establish agricultural sta
tons or have already started them. The Leg
islature of New York appropriated, last year
$4,000 for a state experiment station, and
at a meeting lately held by the commissioner
in control Of the matter a committee werC
chosen to secure proposals for the lease OF
sale of a 100 acre farm suitable for the pur.
pose. Valuable results may be anticipated
from the work to be done in this direction by
the great state of New York We are already
indebted to some Of our agricultural schools
for valuable experimental work. especially tc
the lchool in connection with Cornell Univer.
sity and that at Amherst. We have also few
private experiment stations. OF the work that
has been done in some of the state stations,
and what should be done in these and those
that are soon to be established, Mr.. Barnard,
in an article in Scribner's monthly, referred
to last week, says
''The work of the Connecticut station is
chiefly devoted to the examination of com
mercial fertilizers and plants and the testing
and examination of seeds. 1t occupies rooms
in the Sheffield school in connection with
Yale college; but, unfortunately, it has no
plant-house, nor single square foot of land.
In spite Of this great drawback, it has done
n most admirable work, driven out of the mar
ket great deal of adulterated and fraudulent
material, improved the standing and charac-
ter of trade in fertilizers, and saved the farm
ing community of that state many hundred
times the few thousands of dollars it has cost.
The North Carolina station has done an
equally good work in preventing the sale of
spurious seeds and manures, has examined
great quantities of soils and materials of all
kinds, answered hundreds of important in
quiries made by practical farmers, and has
proved of real commercial value to the state,
and, in fact, TO the entire South. The young
err stations of which there are quite number
established or in preparation, appear, as far
as can be learned, to be in excellent hands,
and to be ready to do good work in the fu-
ture.
lance of such stations, it may be worth while
to consider br o 1y the work an American sta
ton should do, the character of the men who
should be placed in charge of it. and the best
way of making its results available. All the
operations Of agriculture are in the nature of
an experiment, and yet it is one OF the least
exact of all the trades. 1t is essentially scien-
tiAc, and yet the majority Of farmers are I'M
scientific; The station must therefore be a
place of scientific experiment There are
new seeds and new plants imported by the
dealers, and offered at high prices. They may
be the best things ever discovered, and they
may be mere weeds with high sounding
names-perhaps excellent in their own coun-
try, and Of no value in this or they may be
unblushing frauds. The station tries the new
seeds plants or fruits under every variety of
culture, notes every passing stage of their
growth, from the seed leaf to the fruit or flow
or, andreports to the farming public The hon.
est dealer in plants, seeds, or trees is glad to
get the Endorsement of the station for its favor-
able report enhances the commercial value of
the goods If the thing is fraud, the sta
ton does good work in driving it out of the
market There are thousand questions
coming up every year that the station would
properly answer. What are the best rations
for cattle or sheep? What is this tool good
for? How is that better than another
What is the best temperature for this green
house plant, or that hot-bed vegetable How
may certain flower be forced to bloom al
Easter? Is this particular way of propagat-
ing the best or must another be tried! The
questions quickly gather, for the known in
agriculture is to the unknown as the infinite
ly little to the infinitely great Let station be
established, and it's work will flow in upon il
much faster than it can accept it, We're there
six in each state and territory, all would be
proftably employed. s, fsfs .--r.r-a
An ideal experimental station is one that
may be placed on good farm. 1t should
have barns, stables, and dairy, ] propagat
g-house, greenhouse garden, orchard, anc
vineyard There should also be q laboratory
and the proper offices and conveniences fol-
the staff. II should employ director, OF
manager, who must be man of science
good chemist, competent gardener anG
greenhouse man, a vineyard st and farmer
and if one of the men is well-trsined re-
porter, all the better. 1t is not essential tina
all these be confined to one spot. The farm
aud dairy might go together in some rura
district the orchard, vineyard, plRnt-houses
and laboratory should be near some large
city and if they could conveniently be open
ed freely to the public, all the better, as The
station would thon become a museum anC
public instructor. The tendency has been t.
Regard THESE blhtlOnh us mere cneInlcdl lhDOrn
tories. This testing of fertilizers is q gooC
and desirable work, but it cannot fully answer
all the questions raised by the farmer, gar
dener planter, and grape-grower. The pso
pie do not need to lie educated to see the val
ne of experiment stations. They are an es
tablished success in Europe, and have proved
their usefulness in this country 30 thoroughly
that they are being started, or are under con
sideration, in all parts of the Union.
In conclusion Mr.. Barnard makes the sen
sible recommendation that the results of ex
psrimeuts be given 10 the people through tn,
newspapers. In no other way could the fact
be SO widely disseminated with SO little ex
pense OF loss of time. He says .-
Finally, how shall the work be given to tn,
peoplsl The present shatiolR issue reports
and pamphlets, and occasionally give an item
to the papers. 1t would seem as if this las
plan should be completely and thoroughly
carried ont as often as possible. The people
want the facts, in a condensed form, as otter
as ready, and the papers are the best me
dium.