The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1913-05-01

connected with an experiment station
is much perturbed first because of
the prominence given in recent
number of the American Poultry
Journal to an article entitled, Foolish
Experiment Station Work, and then
apparently because did not rush
to the defense of the experiment
stations and go after all those nearly
or remotely responsible for that
article, hammer and toDgs.
"Until my attention was thus called
to the article, lad given it only
passing glance Examining it with a
little moie care, | can still find no
special occasion for comment. 1t
consists principally of quotations
from The Dollar Hen, by Milo Hast
ings. AS had reviewed that book
when it appeared, it did not seem to
me that there was any good need OF
giving these extracts from it par
ticular attention now. The comments
of Mr.. Stoddard, the author of the
article, could disagree with in a
number of particulars, but his general
statement about the value of expert
ment station work in his article is
absolutely sound. He says Millions
on millions of solid value can be pro-
duced of grains, fruits, vegetable,
and live stock of every species, by
following the conclusions of good,
we'll advised station experiments;
and conversely thousands Of dollars
of taxpayers money can be squander-
ed by ill advised station work.
mo one can find fault with that.
To show something of the extent of
work of this class Mr.. Stoddard
quotes copiously from Milo Hastings.
[ don't think it lies with Mr.. Hast
ings to criticize experiment station
work when his own is SO vulnerable
Neither do | agree with some of Mr..
Stoddard's remarks, but speaking
broadly, their attitude is the same
that | have held toward station work
ever since it started. I have tried to
discriminate fairly to give all the
credit due, and to avoid making
criticisms offensive in form, yet l
have never spared the weaknesses of
the experiment stations. [ am in
clined to think that the article in the
A. p. j. may be especially irritating
to those connected with experiment
stations because OF the title, and be-
cause of the prominence given to Mr..
Hastings glib but crude criticisms
are largely inevitable at this stage of
development, it is practically impos-
sible to secure a uniform absence of
what seems to the practical poultry
man fOolishneSS from experimental
work, because we have not at present
men with the mbination of practi-
cal and scientific training that is re-
quired for it. | am referring now
esDecially to poultry experiments |
Most practical men have not the
academic training needed to properly
plan, conduct and report an expert
ment, while the scientific men, though
they may have had some experience
in handling poultry, have rarely had
the kind of experience that would
enable them to get the practical point
of view. In fact, many practical
men have that view only as far as ex
perience and necessity have forced it
upon them. But even supposing that
we had scientists familiar with all
phases of practical poultry culture, it
would be difficult to hold them to
strictly useful and sensible lines of
work, for the eXperimenter is by
temperament inclined to explore all
possible paths to knowledge, and not
all of these can yield results.
1.-THE weakest point in experimental
work with poultry at present is the
exploitation of amateurish questions
by those supposed to be experts. In
time that will be outgrown, but we
cannot eliminate it all at once, and
we have to remember also that may of
those who condemn foolish things
done at the stations are hnngering for