The herald., 1896-11-21
(Address all communications of an agri-
cultural nature to the Agricultural Editor

address all communications OF an agri-
cultural nature to the Agricultural Editorl
PROF. HILGARD BEHIND THE AGE
Some time ago we gave an account OF
the experiment station at Southern
Pines, North Carolina, which is proba-
bly, one of the largest experimental sta
tions. If not the largest station. in the
the United States. The grounds of this
station cover some thousands of acres,
and are under the management of the
state board of horticulture, the state
agricultural experiment station and the
German kali works.
In little work published by the lat
ter concern called Principles of Profita-
BILE Farming, some account of the sta
ton is given, part of which we repro
duce and place in the deadly parallel
column with what Prof. f. w Hilgard
said before the last farmers institutes
held in Southern California.
1.-THE soil when the I'VE cannot carry
experimental farm on fertilizer expert
was established was mentation at the sta
in a virgin condition tions on virgin soils.
This was one greatl-E. w. Hilgard's lee
advantage, for the ture before Farmers
effect of fertilizers to Institutes, Septem-
be used in the experi-lber. 1896.
ments will not be in
growth rh CT previous
crops or by elements
of plant food suppl
ed by previous ma
If Prof. Hilgard had been doing the
kind of experimental work that is being
done at other agricultural experiment
stations. instead of fooling away his own
time and wasting the public funds in
worthless soil analyses, no two of which
agree, he might have shown the people
of the state how to grow crops of larger
quantities and better quality And
when he was asked how to grow sweeter
nro wit ell he
have given some definite information in
stead of saying Don't ask conun-
drums Prof. Hilgard has lost his op-
portunity and he should be retired.
THE HERALD AND THE AGRICUL-
TURAL COLLEGE
The structures which The Herald has
felt called upon to make upon the meth
DDS and plans of the college are spe-
cffic and radical. At the risk of liter
alton" which Shakespeare qualities so
violently, we wish to present once more
our contention in the simplest form.
Such a statement will, we think, make
clear that the issue is in no sense per-
soral, but has to do with the vast inter
ests of Southern California as a fruit
ard grain growing region. If the fail
ure of the college to aid our ranchmen
calls for change in the administration
of the college. The Herald is respon-
the conclusion which those premises
demand. Gold medals from beyond the
sea may adorn the wise men t Berkeley.
but our farmers need practical help in
their crops and in the war they have to
wage with the enemies that infest their
fields and orchards. and such needed
help has not come from director or as
sistants. Thousands upon thousands
of dollars have been annually given to
the college without any practical BEN
eft. The Ontario Observer has hit the
nail squarely on the head when it says
The Eerald's criticisms have been
entirely upon the incompetency of the
director Of the agricultural college and
some members of his staff. A perusal of
the evidence collected by The Herald
regarding the small benefit derived by
the farmers of the state from the theo-
retical researches of the college staff
leads one TO suppose that much better
use might be made of the funds apo
priated for agricultural college work if
The Herald's suggestion of the estab
lishment of numerous inexpensive eX-
pertinent stations could be carried out
AS already suggested in the Observer
plots of ground in the vicinity of such
schools as Chaffey might be worked
under the direction of teachers compe-
tent to investigate urder the direction
Of a practical state superintendent ques-
tions vital to the interests of the farm
efS ana Irult growers or the vicinity OF
each experimental plot
We are receiving like testimony from
various quarters. and we deem it duty
we owe the public to call upon those who
control the appointment of the officials
of the college to put practical men on
duty. An agricultural college is a sham
unless ii sends forth irrigating streams
of useful Knowledge to enrich
the state through it's mani
fold harvests. The Herald proposes to
continue to advocate practice vs. theory
The question hinges just at this point