The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-11-15

was they who laid the foundations
upon which the present advancement
rests.
Yet. sir, we are conscious that We
are moving on. The conditions of the
preyious generation are not the condi
lions of today. The modes of inquiry
the need and kinds of knowledge are
different, and are. becoming much
more specific. We must know what
our predecessors knew, but we neeC
and must know more. 1t is this which
is additional with our time which
constitutes the difference from the
past.
III it were required to use one term
to signify the difference from the
past, aud the specific character of the
present, it is the word Laboratory
| And that term is the synonym of ex-
perlmentation ana inquiry. Now the
RECOMMENDATIONS conducted aud the
/ triumphs achieved by the agricultural
| leaders in the past were such as were
suggested by general observation, and
whose results Were adjudged by the
collective agreement of men, gradual
| ly the more advanced of those leaders
began to question the accuracy OF the
general judgment. More than that,
they challenged the actual appear
ance OF things. A certain breed gave
the largest yield of milk; but was that
real proof that that breed furnished
more than another of the actual nutri-
ments essential in food? A particular
variety OF wheat gave more bushels
per acre; but did that variety "cut as
4, ,rFf % hA hEnl lh..l n mr.
the -four of equal nutriment to that of
other brands?
At that time other vital circum-
stances were pressing the minds of
men and causing them to inquire for
new aids in their situation. Many of
the lands, particularly in the old
countries, were becoming exhausted
by uncessing cropping; the natural
fertilizers made on the farms were not
enough to maintain fertility, and
yields were getting less. AT that
juncture men began to look about for
special means in growing crops. Mer-
chants and speculators ransacked the
uttermost parts of the earth, aud
were discovered the nitrates of
Chill and the gusno of Peru. Not
only did these artificial aids TO crop
ping cause a renewal of enterprise
through the domain of agriculture,
but specific Inquiry began concern |
ing the actual elements of plant nutri- |
ton contained in all fertiliZing |
agents. AS result of such inquiry il |
was found that the active principle in |
the farm yard were essentially the
same That disc )very initiated an
agricultural epoch. Land owners
fOresaw the recuperation of exhausted
lands, and farmers were to grow in
whatever they believed. London
would never want for strawberries
and cauliflowers with these aids from
Peru, and the phosphates of Carolina
should replenish Berlin.
New difficulties, however, came
with the new boom. Agriculturists
ound that they did not know the
of these new materials,
md that they were in the hands Of
men who could supply them with
ertilizers having full cash value, or
Who could palm off materials with no
yalue at all. However, it was not
)nly in the matter of what the farmer
lad to buy, but likewise in what he
Dffrred for sale that new perpleXities
rose which challenged tue very
oundations Of values; but the great I
ruth was, and the leading men were
oming TO see it, the face value of ma
erials could no longer be accepted.
Not Only the farmer in what he had
o buy, but the consumer in what the
arm offered for sale, were demanding
II ri hi /
he laboratory could provide. ,
A new phase in agricultural devel-
'pment was here created. Something
lad to be done, but what could the |
armer do? He was competent in all |
he practical demands which the farm
made upon his Intelligence and expe-
fence. This new demand, however, '
Vas beyond his competence. He l
new how to plough his land; when
o plant his crops. He could plant 6
ane and cotton raise cattle AMI swine, !
nd maintain his home and fences i
Ike gentleman; but, without a GER :
ain specific knowledge, and without
laboratory, he could not gauge the s
itrogep and phospOric acid present {
Il the fertilizers he had to buy, nor '
the a!buminoids, the fats G
nd the carbohydrates in the foods he I
ffered for sale. At this juncture the I
ractical agricUlturist stood still and q
bought; and having thought, he con- t
luded tnat the bounds of his indivi- I
ual and unaided inquiry and expert f
1entation had been reached. I
But, Mr.. President, the agricul- s
urist did not stand still long. In Q
ONE of the old countries, as well as {
n America, private individuals insti- u
1ted laboratories and experimental |
ion for themselves. The small farmer t
Ould not do that. He could not keep 8
n expert to test his fertilizers and I
sed stuffs, and to determine the fats |
nd albuminoids in his milk. And f
ct the smaller his means the greater '
Tas his need of defence and protec- t
on. Happily, all were in the same t
eed, and it was the broad extensive C
ess of the demand which led to the e
7ide and corporate action in meet I
lg it. L
At the cross road of conditions of o
'hich we have spoken the great plan p
I experiment stations was formed. e
he primary purpose of the expert 8
lent station is to conduct inquiry and b
lrnish information to community a
r State such as the individual can v
OF accomplish for himself. This L
)ncerted system of experimentation +
lables trained talent to be employed v
all investigations, and results are p
lus secured at once free from error e
nd motives of corruption. Today, o
entlemen, the experiment station Il
presents the most important pres o
IL mode of agricultural inquiry. Il