Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-03-19
Agricultural,
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AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT
STATIONS.


AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT
STATIONS. \
Ertrdets from al Addrss Ddicered by Co.,
Wn- Ana's at tie Annusi 4Meetis,slcf the
Maryland State TURNER'S Association.
What is an experiment station? Its
not simply place for the investig alton
of botanical problems, or for reconcile
work in analytical chemistry The work
Of these stations comes much nearer the
practical farmer. as,is indiaased b.. their
origin. The first one in Germany was
established some thirty-fiye years ago by
club of intelligent farmers, who, find
ing i impracticabls to try experiments
which were necessary to decide import
ant questions in their everyday bust
ness, contributed the means for the pur-
chase Of small piece of ground and
the support of "a suitable manager, whose
sole business it should be to make ex-
periments desired by the farmers who
had established the statieu These Ger
man farmers realized the fact that il was
much cheaper, as we'll as far more salts
factory to have the agricultural questions
investigated for the district in this way,
than to leave such investigations to the
fragmentary and incomplete experiments
of individual farmers. ibis station,
which grew out Of such simple begin
ming, proved to be the model on which
many others have been formed. More
than hundred exist to-day on the con-
tinent Of Europe. Ia 1877 The State Of
-Coeaesfiant- established rrsir-u1rg-Ir
our country This example was soor
followed b. North Carolina, and nov
these stations are rapidly extending
throughout our land
Look for slittle while stthe kind of
problems they investigate select at
random New York. which has expended
large sum in the purchase aud equip
ment of u station. has published several
valuable reports. This State is the larg-
est potato growing State 10 the country
ln recent report DR.. Sturtevant gives
the results Of most elaborate and care
full set Of experiments upon the product
iveness Of different varieties Of the DO
tato, as we'll as upon the effect Of plant
ing the whcle potatoes, or sets cut 10 the
oid-fashioned way, or cut to single eyes.
All the leading varieties of potatoes in
cultivation in New York we're tested,
and the results be publishes cannot fail
to be worth many thousands Of dollars to
the potato growers Of that State. was
amazed to find the immense difference In
productiveness between the different va
rieties in cultivation. No one can read
bis report without deriving information
Of great value as to the varieties which
it is best to use. and in regard to
those which had better. be abandoned -
His experiments, too, pretty much ex-
plode the idea that any great difference
in prodnctiveness can be obtained bv
planting whole potatoes, or sets cut in
different ways.
Another valuable set Of experiments
which have been carried on for the last
year or two at the New Jersey station
concerns the feeding value of ensilage as
compared with dried fodder aud corn. -
Here course of experiments was made
as to the amount Of food which could be
obtained from an acre of ensilage, and
from an acre of corn. Then number
of feeding tests was made, cattle being
kept for time on a ration composed
xssn1p e 7ensilage. and then on u ration
~ which the ensilage was replaced BY
dried fodder and corn The productive
ness in milk was carefully measured,
and from all this data the result was de-
duced that ensilage was not more valua-
BILE than corn with dry fodder Now
am not vet at all prepared to accept Pro.
fessor Cooks conclusions, but the farm
ing community is under great obligations
to him for the careful, systematic and
thorough manner in which he has set
about these investigations, aud | feel
sure that the work he is doing will, in
few years, give us a full and satisfac-
tory solution of the eusilage problem.
In number Of these stations the
seeds used in their states are carefully
tested. For instance last year in Connect
lieut. an agent was made to purchase spe-
cimens OF all the garden and trucking
seeds sold by the principal dealers 10
the State. These were planted, and the
per centage Of seeds which sprouted, as
we'll as the time taken to gcrminate, was
carefully noted. The results were pub.
lished. and the truckers and farmers
were thus made awere Of the sources
from which the indifferent seeds come.
Every trucker who hears me knows how
often he has been Injured By planting
seeds, one-fourth, one-third. and some-
times one-half Of which did not soene
up. What saving it would be to lin
y kno y positively when he sowss seed
that ninety per cent or more will aefmi-
nafei Some men test for themselves.
but this is troublesome and costly. The
station docs it for the States far moro
thoroughly than an individual can do it.
and with little more cost.
A large amount Of work 10 all our
American stations has been done 10 the
analysis of fertilizers, and probably in
no one thing have these stations saved
81 much money to the farmers. From
rcareful estimate made 10 Connecticut Of
the cost of the three NEST valuable in-
gradients Of Fertilizers before the estab-
lisbment Of their. station, and the, cost
of the sanie year after It was esbab-
lished. it was estimated that tho station
had saved that Stats $500. 900. Many
farmers readily dnd out by experience
when they have bought worthless COM
pound for 4 considerable price. but very
few far,pers eau, determine from their
experience that they are paying $25 for
saisrsicls which is only worth Sl5 or
500. aud it 10 frsw this sort of dealing