The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-12

now well assured, Of her unique and aston
ishing experiment in railroad building.
Our Agricultural Experiment Station.
Tho Agricultural Experiment Station at
Geneva IL successful-as q contrivance TO
spend annually 500 ooo Of the public money
among nine salaried officials, and also In
acquiring and imparting worthless knowl-
edge to the farmers Of New York. Az a
practical mean for improving the agricul-
turs Of this State, 1t is O transparent fraud.
Think Of thisl The Genevan scientists
spent a part Of February, 1887, In Feed
ing whole corn to . COW. With spec
tacles on their noses, they watched the
objections for kernels that had passed
unchanged through the digestive or
gans. They found twenty-five. These they
dried and placed In q terminating apparatus.
Thirteen, or lfty-two per cent, Of them,
~germinatedl They threw OF their specta-
cles and fell on each others necks In Joy over
this invaluable discovery, this priceless con-
tribution to New York agriculture. But Feb
ruary did not suffice these enthusiastic MIN
compoops. They did tho same thing by that
COW in March. Kernels Of her corn, undi-
gested, were placed in q pot Of earth In q
greenhouse, and left from March 81 to April
IS. Alasl all rotted; none terminated. But
there was q compensatory experiment paral-
lei with this deplorable failure. Thirty
kernels Of that cows undigested corn
were mixed with her fresh dung, placed
In the greenhouse and breathlessly watched.
The calendar of April, 1887, is for all time en-
riched by the Genevan record Of the germi-
nation Of 70 per cent. among these kernelsl
This amazing tomfoolery, with other equal
ly valuable, at tho Geneva Agricultural Ex-
State $ls.42s. Is the disgust inspired by this
waste Of hard-earned money lessened by
these experimental ninnies' pompously
printing In q big and very costly book. for
the education Of tho farmers Of New York,
that where weeds are allowed to grow
freely, crops may be absolutely destroyed"
that there is q constanoy Of character In
wild dandellon that deserves scientific OBJ
servation through several seasons" that
"the ~root-pruning Of young corn plants will
diminish the product of merchantable corn
that the Ill effect Of weeds Is largely due to
their robbing tho crop Of proper moisture
through their draughts on the SOIL" that
"%unthinned rows Of onions produce the
greatest weight Of bulbs. and thinned rows
the largest bulbs" that certain weeds are
very obnoxious, and, when once established.
are with difficulty ~eradicated, such as Can
ada thistles, Quack grass, milk weed, bur-
dock, and ox-eyed daisy" that "the indica-
tons are that the soil becomes stocked with
water during the colder part Of the year, and
pays 1t out during the summer and autumn"
that quantity Of albuminoid consumed
has a stronger relation to the milk yield than
has the nutritive RATIO" and so on and Oh
through hundreds Of pages Of evidence Of
the unlimited capability Of human Stiffness?
It challenges belief that these teachers Of
scientific agriculture kept tables Of expert
mental feeding Of calves to prove among
other things that when left to lad libitum
feeding" animals select the food they like
bestl They actually did this.
The Geneva Agricultural Station Is not
designated and maintained as an asylum for
lunatics or idiots. Yet its managers nave
perseveringiy kept a record of sunshine,
taking observations four times a day; and
they have carefully tabulated and annually
printed this precious record In aid Of New
York agriculture. They actually made and
tabulated these sunshine observations, with
out tho break Of q day, from May 4. 1885. to
Sept. 3. 1887, when they were discontinued
because found to be untrustworthyl
How can this experimental stations rec
ord of the readings Of a thermometer stuck
In the ground, to measure its temperature,
aid o Herkimer county farmer to make good
crops? How can experiments to determine
"if the rate OF absorption by the soil is in
proportion to its dryness," be made useful to
an Ontario farmerp For an entire year, the
ridiculous pretenders Of this Agricultural
Experiment Station soaked bricks and az
terward weighed them, and then did some
other things to them, and contrived ma
chimes which they buried under a stable
there to absorb, and record their absorption.
And they watched and measured the water in
the stations we'll, and kept beautiful records
OF all these scientific monkeyshines. With
what result, oh farmers Of Chautauqua coun-
ty? It's thus reported to the Legislature:
"A rainfall Of l.s inches per month during the colder
part Of the year increased the amount Of soil water suf
ncient to raise tho well water three. rourths Of an inch q
day during the whole period; while despite . rainfall Of
double that amount during tho remainder Of the year
tho soil water was 20 much depleted BY evaporation that
tho well water lowered st an equal rate per dayi"
Nine octave pages Of the annual report OF
the manager Of this Agricultural Expert
ment Station arc given to q special study
OF the potato scab. What is the conclusion
Of a years experimenting with smooth seed
and soabby seed, with much microscoping,
and tho inevitable tabulatlon that is the
token and proof OF high science? 1t Is
that a continuous growth from the time Of
first vegetation. until the tubers are fully
natural appaara IN ha thu condition looct