128 BOARD OF AGRICULTUKE. 



roiindinj? conditions are the same. It should be our aim to gather 

 all of the information possible and carry it home for thought and to 

 assist us in our investigations. Whatever we tliink is reasonable and 

 will apply to our own farms, let us carefully try and prove its value 

 when applied to our particular larm. liut whatever we try let it be 

 done in a manner to leave no need for guess work. Let it be tried 

 by the side of some method which we are familiar with. Thus b}' 

 comparison we shall be able to draw conclusions of value. But final 

 conclusions should not be drawn from single trials. This is entirely 

 unsafe. The trials should be continued several vears, and then if 

 the results are nearly all alike it will be safe to conclude that so far 

 as vour farm is concerned the matter is settled. But because it is 

 settled with you it may not be settled when applied to other farms. 

 It is only general principles that can be settled to apply to all farms. 

 For example : If it weakens a potato to cut it on my farm, it will be 

 very likely to weaken it on all other farms ; and so if it will strengthen 

 it to cover it with plaster, it will on all other farms. So if under 

 ordinary culture it is found that a whole potato on my farm is better 

 than a single eye, then on all other farms, with ordinary culture, it 

 will be better. But this does not prove that on some farms single 

 eyes may not be made to produce as large a crop as I can produce 

 with whole potatoes. If a man has a soil as rich as the potato, or 

 has in it plant food that is just as available as it is in the potato, 

 then he will find it for his interest to plant single e3'es and thus save 

 in the cost of seed. 



What we now need is a S3'stematic effort to settle disputed points 

 in potato culture under ordinary' conditions. Our experiment stations 

 should be induced to take hold of this work, and to secure true and 

 lasting records the crops at different stages of growth should be 

 photographed. Then the results of different stations and different 

 individuals could be brought together for comparison. Man}' of my 

 experiments during the last two 3ears have been photographed, and 

 from some of these transparencies have been obtained. These I 

 exhibit on the canvas to the audience b}' the aid of the stereopticon, 

 which can onl}' be done in the evening or b}' darkening the hall. 

 That you may have some idea of these views I have brought for 

 your inspection a few photographs. 



In conclusion, I would sa}' I do not ask you to adopt my methods 

 of seeding or of culture, but I do ask you to carefully tr}' some 

 of m}' methods b}' the side of 3'ours ; see if what is true on my farm 

 in Massachusetts may not be true on vour farms in Maine. 



