Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-01-27
Facts and Theories.

One farmer says he prefers the results
of practical experience to new tangled
theories.
So say We all of Us.
A theory without facts behind 1t Is
not worth much.
Yet the strides the world has made
toward better things have come about
through the men of theory-the dream
ers-who knew by intuition.
The steam engine was but theory In
the brain of Watt, lad watching the lid
of teakettle bob up and down. Yet
there were some solid facts behind this
vision-and it gave Us new world.
The possibilities of electricity were
were only dreamed by Ben Franklin.
"fooliug" out there in the rain and
storm with his silly kites and an iron
key tied to the string. Yet he had q
theory that electricity was something
man might harness and use. He had
but one fact Of real sxperience-the cur,
rent from the iron key-but he gave
the world new force.
He was theorist who stated that clo-
yer had bacteria growing on its roots
aud these bacteria drew nitrogen from
the air and put i, in the soil to its en-
ricLmeu for following crops. People
laughed at him. "Another blaM fool
trying to make US old farmers swallow
a new-fangled theory" said they. The
idea came, mayhsp, like burst Of light
without any previous experiment of
known facts. Taking his theory into
the field of facts the d,scoverer produced
results. The facts came pouring IN
from the field of the practical farmer,
from the chemists laboratory and from
the botauist's microscope. They all tai.
lied with each other and with the origi,
nal proposition. There was not one
single fact to the contrary. 1t gave to
agriculture a new mine of wealth.
A theory is belief based upon a
single observation. 1t becomes truth
when it is backed up by universal ex-
perience.
The farmer whose potatoes tbrived
when planted in the dark of the moon
was theorisr. The only trouble about
him is that he got his cause and his ef-
feet trifle mixed. He associated the
moon with the results at harvest tim Q
from one fact or observation. His theo-
~ wouldn't stand the light Of actual ex-
pertinent and now We say, yes, also in
the light of the moon, for We ought to
raise more potatoes anyway.
There is heap Of difference In guess
ing and knowing. For example, there
is lot OF farm practice going on all
around us that is based upon in sufficient
evidence.
1t takes q wise man to draw a correct
conclusion from experience. Circum
stautial evidence is all right If you have
all the circumstances. There are plenty
of people who jump at conclusions from
one single fact.
We don't any of us know 80 ALFRED
much and not one Of US but can keep on
learning from our own aud others ex'
perience, and from the theorists toO-if
we only know how to weigh and measure
both.
What tho farmer needs is to cultivate
the judicial habit Of mind; the ability to
weigh all the evidence; to sort it; classi'
fy it; test it for truths and falsehoods;
then make a decision justified by all the
testimony and not from one spectacular
iustaDce.
So we have two kinds OF theorists
One fizzles because the stubborn facts
do not agree with his theory. &c
quickly joins the down-and- out club.
The other makes good, basing his the
ory on solid facts which point to biz
conclusion In rational and reasonable
way. His neighbors and the critics and
the specialists in the world OF exact re.
search get busy with bis theory and find
II everlsstingly true.
We need no theories by visiOnaries
who cannot support their fads by facts
We should immortalize the dreamer'
with farsiyhte vision who see things
ahead and herald them 10 rs when oul
own dull wits hold us in check.