Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1897-01-29
FARMER AND PLANTER
EXPERIMENT. STATIONS.
Tneir Relation to tho Farmer and III

Tneir Relation to tho Farmer ana His
Operations,
Prof. Jordon, of the New York ex-
pertinent station, delivered an address
recently on the subject OF "The Rela-
ton Of the Experiment Station to the
Farmer" of which the following is an
extract;
The claims of science as an 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 BUSH
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, us does the best type OF
practice. There are several directions
in which we see evidences of value
and necessity of the experiment sta
ton, some of which are the follow
ing:
The chemical control of the inn
mense fertilizer trade of this country,
amounting to So, 000, 900 per year, at a
cost to the farmer of at least 800. 000,-
900.
The ventilation of frauds which
have In the past so largely taken the
farmers money without adequate re.
turn.
The study of food problems.
The official chemical control OF q
large proportion of the immense dairy
business which is done in this country
through the aid Of the Babcock test.
The application of economic ento-
mology to horticulture.
The discovery of the causes of plant
diseases, with the working out OF the
spraying methods for their prevention.
1t 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 and 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 1t requires of its
followers.
What is the proper function and
scope of an experimental station? II
can not claim omnisciencc, for we art
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 of human being. 1t should
not assume to control the business af
fairs of any individual, because tina
must be left largely with his judgment
The proper function of the station il
to illustrate the applications of scienc,
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 n necessity, we ma,
ask what is the proper work for tn
New York agricultural experiment sta
ton? The conditions of the New Yorl
agriculture appear to demand that TIN
work of its experimental station
should center largely around dairyinl
and horticulture. What are the need
of dairying and horticulture in thi
state? First of all, we need large
widespread diffusion of the kuowledg
which we now possess. We are not We
living up to the best use of the know
edge which already exists. The know
edge which is needed, SO far us it
within the scope of the experiment
station to supply it, is not that whic
pertains to expert manipulation s
largely as it is to that which pertain
to n knowledge of underlying fact
and principles.
Farmers generally ask Tor the VIII
and not for the how. How shall e,
isting knowledge be diffused? Thi
is the work of the school and the il
stitute, and the most important col
sideration here, is the kind of teacl
ers who shall do the work. We hay
too many teachers who know q littl
of many things and not enough of an
ono thing. If agriculture needs til
expert anywhere, the man who ca
speak ex-cathedra, it is in the populf
school, and on the institute platform
The institute teacher should know
great deal about his subject, an
should decline to discuss other ma
tiers.
INTENSIVE FARMING.