Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-07-01

written specially for the Bulletin.)
For some years, now, "demonstra-
zion farms seem to have been favorite
tools Of the ''uplifters' A number
of states have them, in connection with
their experiment stations or state
of q western farm paper which has
bought land for one. The editor is
going to run it so as to show what d
farm can be and ought to be-" In
cidentIy, he probably expects to get a
reasonable amount of copy off it,
while waiting for the corn and po-
'tatoes.
Theoretically nothing could be more
admirable than this idea of demon
strating the value of new systems and
new tools, etc, in actual use on real
dirt. There are many things in
farmers life which look all right till
we try them: which seem simply rosy
with promise till we test them by per-
Torrance. Then they peter out"
If we could know beforehand, when
any one of these shining theories was
propounded, that somebody on some
professedIy demonstration farm was
giving it a fair and practical test, it
would seem as if his trial might serve
US as well as himself and all the
neighbors. He and his farm would
be the "yaller dog" on which the
medicine could be tried before we fed
1T to our own pups. That's the way
it seems, when you first think of it.
That, also, is the way does actually
work, sometimes and in some cases.
Not always, more's the pity
We owe our present ability to con-
troll several insect and fungous pests
almost solely to the work Of expert
mentalists on large or small demon
stration farms Mighty few potatoes
would most of us raise if we did not
know how to apply Paris green or
arsenate of soda when the soft
shell bugs appear. The theory of these
po1sonS was first worked out in the
laboratory and then their efficacy sub
mitted to the practical test of appli-
cation to actual bugs on actual po-
fato plants growing in actual dirt.
A great many other poisons We're ex-
promised, in theory. excellent results
1t was the practical test of practical
demonstration which showed the su-
perior value in practical work of the
spray now SO universally used. Other
remedies Tor other plant. troubles are
constantly being worked out and test
ed, even yet. He would be an unusual
~ pig-headed farmer who should deny
rhe value of the laboratory and the
demonstration farm in this line.
Similarly, after the chemist has work
cd out his analysis of the soil and of
the crop which it has produced, he
can figure out how many pounds per
acre of this. that, and 'tother plant
constituent the farmer must put back
to restore it to it's original condition.
But not till actual test of his theoretic
fertilizer has been made on actual
fields can anything definite be known
about the practical value to the work
ing farmer of his connection. Lots of
things that work out beautifully on
paper won't work al all in dirt. You
can do many things with a pad and
pencil that you can't do with a horse
and cultivator. The things which you
can do with both, however. are
generally worth doing. When a
theory squares itself accurately with
all the rules Of the books and the laws
of the wise men, it certainly may be
regarded hopefully. But when that
same promising theory has been sub
Jected to the test Of practical use in
practical work and has demonstrated
that it really will work as well as it |
looked as If it might worl,-why. then, !
you've got something more than a
pretty theory,-you've got a solid fact |
done up in shape so you can use it.
At the same time that ! admit thus
the value of the demonstration farm |
and it's usefulness to the working |
farmer. in some details and along |
some lines, 1 don't feel inclined to ac-
cept everything which is shovelled at
me off every demonstration farm
as so much gospel-truth, or as an ad- |
dition to the Ten Commandments.
It's an admitted popularity of US
farmers that we are all of us -SOt@ /
In our ways of doing things. No two |
of US pillow or plant or manure or cul-
tivate just alike Other people laugh /
at us because if this trait: we APP /
preciate it. ourselves, and sometimes !
wonder why it should be so. Really
there's no call for us to do So 1t |
isn't so much we that are different as
It is our farms. If there are any two
farms in all New England that are ex-
actly alike in their characters and re-
quirements. 1 never happened to get
sight of them. There is always some
difference, either in the composition
of the soil. or its physical condition,
or it's past use and abuse. or it's mois-
ture, or the lay of the land. or
something else As one star differeth