Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-21
USE THE STATES
EXPERIMENT FARM
Institution at New Brunswick
Is There to Solve Suburban
Peoples Problems.
HOW TO GO ABOUT IT


Although you may have but a sub
urban plot of ground, you have many
perplexities as TO gardening, live stock
raising poultry husbandry and the
like. DO you know that there is a
clearing house for your problems?
This clearing house is the agricultural
experiment station of New jersey, at
New Brunswick.
First let us see what sort Of insti-
tuition the agricultural experiment
stations sets out to be.
DIR. Jacob G. Lipman, director of the
New Jersey State Experiment Station,
has described the work Of the station
in these words: "The experiment sta
ton is, primarily, a research institu-
ton. 1t is also charged with certain
police duties, pertaining to protection
of farmers in the purchase OF fertiliz-
ers. feeding stuffs. insecticides, nur-
sery stock, etc. Apart from exercis-
ing these functions the experiment
station serves as a bureau of infor-
nation. 1t is expected to furnish
land owners in the State, and others
interested in agricultural matters,
timely information on a variety of
topics. Twenty-Five or thirty thou
sand letters, annually, are received at
the station. They contain questions
about soils, crops, fertilizers, fruit
trees, various domestic animals, farm
buildings, farm machinery, drainage
and irrigation, green manures and
variety of other topics of direct or
remote interest. Requests are like
wise received for popular bulletins on
different subjects"
ne1rO ALL y, t,.rr
ask about the soil of the place which
you expect to buy; ask what crops
are best suited for it; ask advice
about live stock. poultry, what fer
tiliZers to use, about painting your
house and barn-anything.
How? In writing for information
give as full details as possible. Do
not send soils or large samples of
anything without first writing for di
rections for collecting, wrapping, etc.
Send insects securely wrapped in tin,
wood or strong pasteboard boxes.
No ventilation necessary. State where
or on what plants they were found.
Send plenty of specimens, and send
their appropriate food. Neversinclose
in letter. insects or specimens of
any kind that are liable to be
crushed.
But don't expect an experiment sta
ton to definitely solve a soil fertility
problem solely by analyzing the sam
pie of earth you may send. There are
probably no two fields exactly
alike on the whole face of
the globe; certainly there is
differentiation of soil types on
every single farm, little or big.
What the experiment station does is
to make a preliminary test of the
sample of soil you send, analyze 1t
chemically, determine whether 1t is
sour or acid; whether it is humus or
lacks vegetable matter, and whether
it needs lime, or merely cultivation.
Then the officials make recommended
tons to the inquirer as to treatment
and fertilization, and preparation to
the growing of the special crop ro-
tations.
At most experiment stations the
Investigators have charted each State
into districts, by means of the soil
survey. The agricultural experts
know the local conditions and the soil
types in each of those localities. Sup
pose you are farming within a given
area. If you seek information from
your station you will receive in, re-
turn an outline of the particular
crops and rotations which will do well
in your section. Certain companion
crops succeed there while others do
not. You will also receive, If you ask
for them, circulars, bulletins and
references. Definite information will
be sent You. If desired, about a par
ticular plant or crop.
Instances arise where an extreme
IL
an experiment station on a subject
under advisement at the time of the
query. Every other experiment sta
ton man is in touch with the other
stations throughout the country. So
the question asked, say in New Jer-
Sey, may be answered by an expert
on that special subject in Michigan
or New York. The man who uses his
experiment station as it is meant to
be and should be used, has not only
the benefit of the knowledge accumu-
lated in his own State station, but is
given chance to gain information
from every agricultural station in the
country. Expert agriculturists and
specialists from one station lecture
at others. so that information worked
out at one is spread rapidly from
State to State.
Supported by State and U. S.
State experiment stations are sup
ported in part by yearly appropria-
ton made by each State Legislature.
The federal government make an ap-
preparation, utilized for support as
well as definite research work at each
station. These institutions are, then,
the property of the people of the
country. They invite inquiries. They
are practical places where actual
farming, horticultural, Horticultural.
poultry, livestock raising and other
agricultural enterprises are scientifi-
cally considered and pursued.
If anyone brings up practically
new question before his experiment
station, and it is considered some
thing that would benefit many others,
the station will work out the new
problem and will give the inquirer
the benefit of the results obtained.
But you will find it hard to ask any
thing that the station in your State
has not or is not now investigating,
and harder still to make an inquiry
which some station in some State
cannot answer.