146 



stations, and a brief history of the recent, movement for the estab- 

 lishment of the State Agricnltnral School with which the Station is 

 connected. The fact that the station was organized too late to secnre 

 the first year's approjjriation nnder the act of Congress has caused 

 delay in its beginning active operations. When this bulletin was 

 written a farm had been bought with the aid of citizens of the town 

 of Kingston, who contributed $2,000 for this purpose; a director fro - 

 tem pore had been aj^pointed and some preparatory work performed. 



BULLETIN No. 2, JUNE, 1S89. 



The Station farm, C. O. Flagg, B. S. (pp. 15-28).— This con- 

 tains a brief histor}' of the farm from the settlement of Rhode Island 

 to the present time; a description of the farm and buildings, with a 

 map ; and a short report on the geology of the farm, by E. F. Clark. 



SOUTH CAROT^INA. 



South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. 



Depnrtiiieiit of the University of SoutJi Varoliiui. 

 Location, Columbia. Director, Jolm M. McBryde, Pb. D., LL. D. 



BULLETIN No. 4 (NEW SERIES), JANUARY, 1889. 



Report of botanist and entomologist, G. F. Atkinson, Ph. B. 

 (pp. 15-91). — This was included in the annual report of the Station 

 for 1888 (pp. 11-57), a digest of which was published in Experiment 

 Station Bulletin No. 2, of this Office (pp. 175-179). 



BULLETIN No. 5 (NEW SERIES), APRIL, 1889. 



Field experiments avith oats and wheat, J. M. McBryde, Ph. 

 D. (pp. 3-21). — The objects of these experiments as stated were "to 

 ascertain if ]iossible (1) the requirements of the soils of our three 

 experimental farms; (2) the requirements of our oat and w^heat 

 crops; and (J3) the relative values of different kinds of nitrogenous 

 and phosphatic manures." For the j^resent the pecuniary results 

 are regarded as of subordinate interest, but it is expected in the 

 future to give them the attention they deserve. The folloAving gen- 

 eral remarks are worthy of attention : 



In any system of plat experimentation it is almost impossible to guard against 

 ei-ror. Tbe sligliest difference in fertility, mechanical condition, or exposure of 

 the plats; any irregularity in preiiaring tbe land, seeding, and harvesting the 

 crop; any injuries by insects, birds, or storms; any mistakes in measuring 

 and weighing, etc., will affect the results. Appi-oxiniately trustworthy results 

 can only be obtained by making duplicate tests. The great value of having 

 duplicate sets of experiments to I'eveal the probable error from inequalities of 

 soil is enforced by a impropriate illustrations. It can not be too strongly insisted 

 upon that it is unsafe and unwise to draw general or sweeping conclusions 

 from the results of the tests of a single season. Such tests to have value must 

 be continued through a series of years, for the results of the same tests may 

 differ widely in different seasons. 



