2 SORGHUM. 



of Agriculture, iu the iuvestigatious of sorghum and maize, and the 

 predictions based upon these results, should have met with much in- 

 credulity; since it is well known that, during the past tliirty years, 

 these plants have been the subject of repeated, though iucomijlete, 

 investigations by many whose official position and professional stand- 

 ing were such as to entitle them to the confidence of the community. 



jSTaturally, results wliich have often been at variance with their own, 

 have met with a revision of unusual severity by other investigators; 

 but, since the methods by which these results were obtained were the 

 best known, a cordial acceptance of them has been given, so far as I 

 know, witliout exception, ainong scientific men. 



AVith another class the case has been quite different — those who, 

 Bourbon-like, neither learn nor forget. From them there has been, 

 from first to last, only ungenerous criticism or actual hinderance ; which 

 has been so vnijustifial)le and so marked as to prompt one of (lur lead- 

 ing papers editorially to declare, of one of this class, that " his entire 

 course in the matter has l)een uureasonable, obstructive, and, apparently, 

 malevolent." One of the most effective and frequent methods of this 

 class in belittleing the work at the Department of Agriculture, and 

 opposing the acceptance of the important results obtained by means 

 of these investigations, has been to assert that, "after all, there was 

 nothing new in all this, for it had all been done twenty years ago." 

 Such and similar statements have^been urged to cast doubt upon this 

 whole matter; to destroy public confidence in the truth of the results 

 obtained ; to prevent their practical acceptance by the people : and 

 thus to prevent the realization of those practical results which have 

 been predicted and based upon the general acceptance of these results. 

 That such predictions have not been fulfilled, is the exact measure of 

 responsibility resting upon those Avho have thus, from whatever mo- 

 tive, misled the people. 



It is needless here to enter into any discussion as to whether all 

 these facts were known and recognized twenty years ago — as to whether 

 or not, in all this work done at the Department of Agriculture, from 

 1878 to 1882 inclusive, there was any thing new. It is simply a mat- 

 ter of fact and of record'; and it may be best, before proceeding- 

 further, to learn what was the state of our knowledge previous to 

 these investigations. 



CONFLICTmO OPINIONS ON ESSENTIAL POINTS. 



The following citations are by no means an exhaustive summary; 

 but are, probably, sufficient to show the wide differences of opinion on 



