The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-12
When Experience is False Teacher.

tice which we follow year after year are based on
what we call our experience. Things are not al
ways-in fact, are not generally-what they seem
The truth Is not easily found. II is no simple
matter to correctly interpret our daily expert
ences
The farmer is apt to mislead himself by the
belief that he knows thing by experience and
to discredit any experiments which conflict with
what he has interpreted as his practical expert
ence. Experiments are simply carefully planned
and accurately carried out experience Or at
least. the man who conducts experiments on
correct basis and then has sufficient knowledge
and Judgment to properly interpret the results
experiments than the man who has never re-
ceived that training which is necessary to ut him
for careful and accurate observation.
To come to the point. are frank to state
that the so-called tests and experiments made by
most farmers are more likely to teach falsehood
than truth. II must also be admitted that much
of the experimentation done by our experiment
stations 10 ms far short OF revealing the truth but
the tests conducted by men who have been trained
to the Importance of accuracy In details and care
fui observation are worth Infinitely more than the
so-caiied tests made by mos, farmers
There are to-day more farmers making tests
or conducting experiments with fertilizers va
rie,ies OF corn and cotton and methods Of cultiva
ton. than ever before In the history of Southern
agriculture This 10 n hopeful sign. and far be II
from our purpose to discourage this manifestation
OF spirit OF Inquiry or desire to know But 1t
Is needfui that much thought and study be given
to the planning and carrying out OF these expert
he In ha m n ION of he
same more likely to be misleading than In
structive. In the nrst place. there are many
things which enter into an experiment OF this
sort over which the farmer has at best only par
uai control but which may largely influence the
results. Chief OF these variations In SOIL
moisture and temperature. This does not mean
that such experiments are consequently useless.
but Il does mean that a large number OF tests
must be made. extending over a period OF several
years. and that extreme must be exercised In
Interpreting the results TO avoid false conclusions
In other words II Will not do to make test OF
one variety OF corn for instance. this year and
other next year. and draw conclusions as to
which is the better variety from these tests. II
is practically impossible to select two fields OF
equal fertility. and very difficult to hnd two
In the same field sufficiently equal In fer
tility to make a test reliable: moreover no two
seasons are likely TO be the same. A careful ex-
perminter knowing these things, when testing
varieties OF crops or fertilizers. uses alternate
rows or reduces the size OF the pats to one-tenth
or one-twentieth OF an acre and Increases their
number. The blowing and preparation OF the
land for such tests should be done on the same
day. and each cultivation must be given to all
alike and on the same day The land must be
measured. not guessed at; the fertilizer must be
weighed. not estimated: and when the crop is