328 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



I feel altogether unfit to make any remarks wliich will be edify- 

 ing or useful. I have been through life what may be called a 

 harum-scarum farmer. I have raised a few potatoes, and some 

 pretty clever animals ; I have gone into Knox horses, and into 

 Durham shorthorns, and have raised some pretty good ones ; but 

 I feel that any remarks which I might make to this audience 

 would be of very little edification. I must beg to be excused. 



Mr. Z. A. Gilbert. I am somewhat surprised that I should so 

 widely differ from some of the gentlemen who have preceded me 

 in the impressions that I received from the lecture to which we 

 have just listened, which has been interesting to all, without 

 doubt, and extremely so to me. Instead of its having the effect 

 to dampen my ardor in the way of experiments, I must say it had 

 the opposite efi'ect. The lecturer pointed out to us the importance 

 of accuracy in experiments, and his remarks coincided with my 

 opinions precisely; and seemed to strengthen me in the conviction 

 that we should all of us improve every oj^portunity to make 

 experiments, and note all the conditions of those experiments, 

 and their results, that others may have the benefit of them. I 

 know that most of our farmers here in Maine are not scientific 

 men, and that in the Board of Agriculture, until the present time, 

 we have not had a very strong scientific element. We have 

 recently had such an element grafted upon it, and I look forward 

 to some important advantages to be derived from that element. 

 But meanwhile we can work in a practical direction ; and I was 

 much pleased with the remarks of Mr. Hamlin upon that point. 

 We should not, because these scientific experiments are called 

 for, and because they are of great importance, cease our experi- 

 ments in a practical and more humble way. They are of impor- 

 tance still, and if we can unite the two, and have scientific and 

 practical results, we shall gain great advantages therefrom. We 

 are all aware of the truth of the statement of the lecturer, that 

 scientific experiments have not been conducted in America to any 

 great extent, and therefore we are somewhat in ignorance in 

 reference to their results. English and German works have not 

 been brought before the people for study. We have not access to 

 such works, except in the extracts which have been furnished us 

 at times by our secretary. I have felt the need and importance 

 of such works, and hope that in the future we may have access to 

 them, and be benefitted thereby. 



