AGRICULTURAL .EXPERIMENTS. 3Q5 



subject is assigned for me to settle, I might go on for fifteen or 

 twenty years to do the same thing over again; but if -twenty, of 

 ns take hold of it, we can go along four or five years, and when 

 we get one thing disposed of we can take another. 



Let each institution try as many of these experiments as it can, 

 and just such as it chooses to try. If there are those that are 

 strong enough, with means to demote to the matter, so they can 

 keep on with all of them at the same time, so much the better ; 

 but it is better to try some experiment than do nothing. We 

 must not expect to get absolute accuracy, but to find the element 

 of error, so that it can be eliminated. Even some of the most 

 perfect instruments for philosophical investigation and observa- 

 tion are imperfect — as the thermometer, the barometer, and many 

 other instruments ; but tables are constructed for the correction 

 of these errors, after observation and trial, and results are then 

 reached which are practically accurate. 



Prof. TIilgard. I am glad to see, from the remarks of Dr. 

 Miles, that there is no difference between his views and my own, 

 except he does not call science what I call it. The practical 

 experiments are altogether scientific ; that is, they are made on a 

 scientific basis. What I object to is, making the experiments 

 without controlling, as far as possible, the circumstances, and 

 among them those referring to positions, soil and so forth. 



Dr. Miles. I do not undervalue scientific investigation. I 

 believe we should have, in each of our colleges, proper apparatus, 

 and a man to conduct experiments for the promotion of science. 

 The distinction I would make between science and practice might 

 be illustrated still further. In feeding stock, for instance, we 

 want to get at the money value : we want to know what corn is 

 worth in dollars and cents. In the scientific experiment which 

 has to do with the explanation of these results, we want to know 

 the elements that enter into the constitution of these things, 'and 

 in what proportion they are cpmbined. There are two lines of 

 inquiry. We must conduct practical experiments with the accu- 

 racy of scientific experiments, applying the same methods. The 

 scientific man, if he understands practical matters, is more capa- 

 ble of improving a practical experiment than a man who does not. 

 understand scientific matters. But the scientific man who makes 

 experiments in the art is not familiar with the details, in many 

 cases, and he is looking for scientific results, while we want to 



get values in dollars and cents. 

 20 



