SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 257 



1st. The stations should undertake things too unwieldy from 

 any cause for accomplishment by individuals. Under this head 

 come those that cost too much for ordinary private enterprise, 

 those that necessarily run so long a course as to discourage indi- 

 vidual attempts, those that by reason of complexity of details 

 cannot be well done in any other way. 



As an example, I name experiments in timber-tree plantation 

 — groves for shelter and ornament and trees for summer firewood 

 may be tested by any farmer, but to make a valuable addition to 

 present knowledge in growing in quantity trees for general or 

 special purposes as timber, requires too much outlay of money, 

 and too long a course of watching and waiting for private means 

 and private patience. Yet it is a matter of prime importance 

 that such knowledge be secured, and when secured may be util- 

 ized by the hundreds and thousands who could not find out the 

 facts for themselves. Contrast with this the competitive tests 

 between two varieties of strawberries, or, if you please, between 

 dozens of varieties upon the same soil and conditions. Two 

 years may be sufficient for this, while for the former a half cen- 

 tury would be a short time. Again, one experiment carefully 

 completed may be practically sufficient for the State and century, 

 while, however, through the latter trial the same kind of thing 

 would be needed in a large number of places and at constantly 

 recurring short intervals of time. Supposing abundant tests 

 had been made a few years ago between Hovey's Seedling, Bos- 

 ton Pine and Longworth Prolific, how much would these tests be 

 worth now? With varieties of apples the illustration would not 

 hold so well, but I have little doubt other things can easily be 

 found more specially germane to the station in contrast with the- 

 individual theory, comparing varieties of anything, important as- 

 this is acknowledged to be. 



2nd. This station should make prominent in its work those- 

 things which require for their successful prosecution kinds andr 

 amounts of apparatus and other equipments not usually poss- 

 essed by private parties. To this end the purchase of costly in- 

 struments by the station ought not to be considered extravagance., 

 provided that by their use important ends can be reached. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Gaston — Professor Burrill has advanced some excellent 

 thoughts. We must advance, and only by carefully conducted 

 experiments can we learn the value of any new variety of fruit. 

 Individual experiments should be encouraged, as they will render 

 valuable aid to the public stations. 



Mr. Minier — Horace Mann once told me that in Prussia and 

 Germany the roads were lined with fruit trees. The passer-by 

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