The San Francisco call., 1904-02-15
AGRICULTURAL
MEN DISAGREE
Secretary James Wilson and
Professor E. w. Hilgard Dis
pute Over Vital Question
MAKE COUNTER CHARGES
Soil Analyses and the Work
of Colleges Precipitate Con-
troversy in the Newspapers
Berkeley Office San Francisco Call.
214S Center Street. Feb. IA.

James Wilson, Secretary Of the De-
partment of Agriculture at Washing
ton, says the agricultural colleges of
the United States do not turn out men
useful to agricultural science, and
that nothing had been known about
the chemical analysis of the soils until
he went to Washington. Professor K.
w. Hilgard, dean OF the Agricultural
College at the University of California
and director of the agricultural expert
ment station, asks, How does Secretary
Wilson know all these things when he
does not pretend to be a scientific ex-
pert or know anything about the his
tory of agriculture?
This controversy between two men
to whom the farmers of the country
look for a good deal was precipitated
by some broad statements that Secre-
tary Wilson made before a Congress
sional investigating committee last
month in Washington. But the fire of
dispute had been smoldering long be-
fore that, and it needed only one thing
to bring matters to the point where the
dlscontented began to wrangle. 1t
seems that Secretary Wilson had in
vited criticism by commenting adverse
ly on the work of the agricultural sta
tions whenever he made a public ad-
dress-comments that were not likely
HILGARD MAKES REPLY.
In one of these addresses at Rochester
Secretary Wilson is credited with say
ing: When 1 went to Washington 1
found that we had no knowledge of
soils, and l went to work and organized
a bureau of soils, and / have over 200
scientists engaged in this work"
To this manifest dig at the agricul-
tural colleges Professor Hilgard replied
through the medium of Science that
Secretary Wilson does not pretend to
by scientific expert, and we must pre-
sumo that his ideas on scientific work
are mainly the result of his environ
ment 1t therefore becomes an interest
ing question whence has come to him
the information that the agricultural
colleges have done nothing in the direc-
tion of collecting soil data. He has ex-
pressed similar sentiments elsewhere,
and has been especially critical Of the
colleges because, as alleged, they fail
to train students in such a way as to
make them useful to agriculture"
Professor Hilgard then goes on to
show that there is considerable data
on soils at Washington that Secretary
Wilson evidently knew nothing about.
For instance, the reports of more than
200 soil analyses from Kentucky and
Ohio were filed in Washington fifty
years ago. Professor HilgaTd himself
furnished data on the soils OF Missis-
sippi nearly that long ago. In 1892 the
department published a paper by him,
describing 779 varieties of soils. He
ventures to say that there are 1900
analyses in Washington at this mo-
ment.
Now, after all these years of scien-
tific investigation and volumes of
proof. Secretary Wilson insists that
there is no such thin~ as an agricul-
tural chemist in existence. This ground
he took before the recent Congress
sioral committee, where he is reported
as saying:
CALLS IT NEW SCIENCE.
We've hardly an agricultural chem
ist in the world. 1t is a new science
The scientists of the past have never
proved anything at all"
Even Professor Hilgard is ignored
and the dialogue in tn committee,
when Secretary Wilson was testifying,
indicates the estimation in which he is
held by the non-scientific Secretary.
They even got his name "Hilder" in
stead of Hilgard.
There was an article in the papers
by a man named Hilder Of California,
who attacks your methods of investi-
CATION" said Congressman Graft.
Yes" replied Secretary Wilson.
hes a fine old-fashioned chemist"
The recent controversy over soils
that was precipitated by the sweepin z
statements of Milton Whitney. chief
of the Bureau of Soils of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. figured somewhat
in the investigation. Whitney was
bold enough to say in a bulletin that
soils contain an unlimited supply of
plant foods and that fertilization is Of
no lasting benefit.
Agriculturists all over the country
disagreed with Whitney and among
them was Professor Hilgard, to whose
article Congressman Graft referred.
Secretary Wilson admitted that Whit
ney might be wrong. but defended him
on the ground that he is valuable
man to the department.
whitney is going so many ways
that are valuable" said the Secretary.
that we can afford to have them go
wrong once in a while"
Altogether the controvers- is at
tracing wide attention and no man
may tell how it will end. Agricultur-
lists everywhere are taking hand in
it and the editors Of periodicals dip in,
too.
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