The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-29
ADAPTATION IN AGRICULTURE.

ADAP A ION I'm AGRiCOE ORE.
Folly of Settling Facts Which Have AL
ready Been Settled by the Experience of
Others.
While every intelligent cultivator of
the soil is doubtless well aware of the
fact that the same kinds of plants and
animals do not thrive equally well in all
climates or under the same conditions,
still there are comparatively few per-
sons who pursue this subject further
than what is forced upon them through
dcar-bought experience. 1t is quite true
that experience is often the most direct
medium through which a man can OBJ
tain the information or facts which he
may be seeking, but it can scarcely be
sad in this are that all must travel the
same road in order to secure the same
amount of knowledge. Accumulated
individual experience may be con-
sidcred as at least fair basis upon
which to establish principles that will
not miSlead the inexperienced, even if
they do not enable the novice to secure
greater results. 1t is a waste of time
if nothing more, to repeat experiments
Just for the purpose of being able to say
that you have settled certain facts or
fallacies by actual individual experience
There is still room enough for expert
ments without going over old ground
and agricultural science has certainly
reached a stage where some of the old
and mooted questions NAV be cOnsid-
cred as decided and it is worse than
folly to spend more time in their in
vestigatiOn. We have certainly de-
tcrmined the fact that there are climates
and soils especially adapted to the
growing of wheat; and while the nat
ural limits may, by artificial means, be
somewhat extended, il is a question if
it viii pay the agriculturist to under
take to force nature in such matters
and try to raise crops that at best are
uncertain, and in Il majority of in
stances cost more than they are worth.
10 run counter to natural con-
ditions is, however, one of the fol-
lies of large number of agricultur-
lists in all civilized countries, and
perhaps nowhere are the numbers
greater than in the United States, for
here we have thousands of farmers and
fruit growers who seem to be perfectly
obliyious to all principles of adaptation
as well as to ignore the experience of
all who have gone over the same field
before them. If a hundred or even
thousand men have utterly failed to
make any special branch of agriculture
success in a locality, they will not be
satisfied until they have tried it them
selves. They will try to raise wheat on
a soil only adapted to rye. and perhaps
winter wheat upon land where it is
almost certain to be thrown out by
frosts in winter and killed. and do not
once imagine that the results were due
to their own ignorance or persistent
stupidity Now, it is well known that
we have vast regions of country where
both the soil and climate are especially
adapted to the growing of wheat and
oats. others for corn. rye. potatoes. and
various farm crops: and while the
farmer NAV by artificial means achieve
partial success where natural conditions
are against him. we should at least hes
itate to advise others to attempt to do
the same as a matter Of business.
There are natural dairy regions
where all things seem TO combine in
making conditions especially favorable
for the production of milk butter. and
cheese. The pasture and meadow
grasses NAV GROW fully rs IuyuriontIv
in other localities. and still dairy buS-
bandry can not be made success, the
reasons for the failure BEING due 70
other causes than food. Low. moist