PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 169 



in a difficulty. Nature's teachings assume many forms of 

 expression, and the conditions which affect the character of 

 her responses, change frecjuently, so that it is only by re- 

 peated questioning and careful attention to the sign language 

 in which her replies are given that we can be certain of the 

 answers she makes. 



The varying conditions to which all our farm operations 

 are exposed, render it necessary that agricultural experiments 

 shall be carefully observed, and that they shall be repeated 

 for a series of years. The data obtained from a single 

 experiment are but imperfect at best, and it frequently occurs 

 that so-called fticts apjDarently demonstrated by a single trial, 

 are, by repeated tests, proven to be no facts at all. 



The farmer, busy and hard-worked, cannot devote to care- 

 ful experimenting, the amount of time, labor and expense 

 that are necessarily involved. His attempts in this line 

 are seldom, continued up to the point where they will afford 

 positive and trustworthy instruction, and furnish reliable 

 rules to guide him in practice. We are aware that, in the 

 difficulties which beset them, the attention of many farmers 

 is turned to the State College in the confident expectation 

 that relief will come from that quarter. It is our desire to 

 meet that expectation ; and if sufficient means were at com- 

 mand, and sufficient time were allowed, much might be done. 

 With such means and time as are available to us, we are at 

 work on several problems in practical agriculture from the 

 solution of which we hope to obtain results that will be of 

 value to the farmers of the State. 



The first experiment of which I will speak to you is one 

 in the cultivation of fine varieties of sugar beets. In this 

 experiment, we ask three questions : 



1st. Is the relative size of beet seeds indicative of their 

 vitality and germinating powers? 



2d. Under similar cultivation, which variety is the most 

 productive ? 



3d. Which variety contains the highest per cent, of sugar? 



