St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-01-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.

FARMER AND PLANTER. |
EXPERIMENT STATIONS.
Thslr Relatloa 70 the Former and HI
Operations,
Prof Jordon, of the New York Ell.
pertinent station. delivered an address
recently on the subject of 1.-The Rela-
ton of the Experiment Station to tho
Farmer" OF which the following IL N
extract;
Tie claims Of science as IN aid to the
industries should no longer assume
the apologetic tone. The day Of uncer-
tainty as to the possible good which
science has to offer the industries Is
passed. Schools of applied science and
experiment stations have become nee.
essary fixed factors in industrial pro-
gress. These may be considered as
part of the great movements which are
now taking place in social and busi-
ness life. Modern conditions and com.
petition demand exact knowledge.
The contest which man is making with
untoward conditions must be waged
along the line Of well-demonstrated
facts and principles. Tradition. super.
stition and opinion no longer have
weight The literature of agriculture
bears evidence of the truth of these
assertions, as does the best type OF
practice. There are several directions
in which we see evidences OF value
<>f he
ton, some OF which are the follow
ing:
The chemical control Of the i'm.
mense fertilizer trade of this country.
amounting to s.. 600 600 per year, 1T =
cost to the farmer of at least &60, co.,
COO
The ventilation of frauds which
have in the past 50 largely taken the
farmers money without adequate re-
turn.
The study of food problems.
The Official chemical control Of .
large proportion of the immense dairy
business which is done in this country
through the aid of the Babcock test.
mology to horticulture.
The discovery of the causes Of plant
diseases. with the working out Of the
spraying methods for their prevention.
It is scarcely possible to sum up In a
few words the large money return
which we are now receiving from these
uses of scientific knowledge, to say
nothing of general uplifting Ind broad
ening of thought Of the agriculturist.
ANY occupation comes to have attract
| iveness and dignity somewhat In pro.
portion to the knowledge and intel
lectual ability which it requires o. its
followers.
What is the proper function and
scope of an experimental Ytation3 II
can not claim omniscience, for we are
only on the outskirts of human knowl.
edge Neither can it claim infallibili-
ty, because the judgment and insight
of the scientist are the Judgment and
insight ora human being. 1t should
not assume to control the business af.
fairs of any individual, because shat
must be left largely with his judgment.
The proper function of the station i
to illustrate the applications of science
to agriculture wherever this requires
delicate and expert work, and to dis
cover principles and facts that are i'm
portant to agricultural practice.
Having conceded that the expert
ment station is a necessity. we may
ask what is the proper work for the
New York agricultural experiment sta
ton? The conditions of the New YOrl
agriculture appear TO demand that thu
work of its experimental station.
should center largely around dairyinG
and HORTICULTURE: What are the 'nsed,
Of dairying and horticulture in thi!
slater First of all, we need . large
widespread diffusion of the knowledg,
which we now possess. We are not ye
living up to the best use of the knowl
edge which already exists. The knOwl
edge which is needed, 50 far as it il
; within the scope of the experiment
station to supply it, il not that which
. pertains to expert manipulation 5,
largely as it is to that (which pertain
, to . knowledge Of underlying fact
and principles.
Farmers generally ask for the VII.
and not for the how. How shall ex
isting knowledge be di6used? Til
is the work Of the sehool and the in
: stitute. and the most important con
! sideration here. is the kind OF teach
. ers who shall do the work. We hav
!. too many teachers who know = littl
of many things and not enough of Nm,
one thing. If agriculture needs tn
expert anywhere. the man who ca
speak ex-cathedra, it is in the popula
. school, and on the institute platform
The institute teacher should know
y great deal about his subject. an
| ehonld declinA IN disNnsa other MAJ