62 



FARMERS'" REGISTER— EXPERIMENTxVL FARMS. 



model larin was to exhibit, lor the example ol" the 

 agricultural comniunit}', the best cultrvalion and 

 management, the most perlect processes of farming, 

 the use of the most improved utensils and ma- 

 chines, and the trial of experiments on a plan ©al- 

 culated to obtain full and satislactory results. Now 

 all these subjects are important, and their being, 

 attained is highly desirable: but by combining 

 so many on one farm, and under one directing 

 mind, I have no doubt of a Itulure in almost every 

 part of the scheme. The view to profitable erojis 

 and products, (the main object of course on a farm) 

 would prevent any. thing like proper and continued 

 attention to courses of experiments: arid "still there 

 would be enough experiments, and trials. of .new 

 utensils and machines, and of new plans ol" til- 

 lage, to prevent economy and good management, 

 and the permanency of any reguku- system, arid 

 to cause every year to be marked-'by disappoint- 

 ment and loss. It does not require much foresight 

 to be satisfied, that a farm on this plan vvould ex- 

 hibit'any thing but a pattern for others to coi>y, in 

 all respects; and the contrast between its object 

 and its results — its jiromise and its perrormance — 

 woidd render it a subject for gener;tl and unsparing 

 ridicule, and a means of injuring the -cause it was 

 intended to sustain. 



But putting aside these obstacles to the deri-v^irig 

 any farming profit from such an . establishment, it 

 maybe well doubted whether profit could be made 

 from the crops of any farm, under any possible 

 management, when owned by,and"cultivated tor the 

 benefit of an agricultural society, or the common- 

 wealth. We know how wasteful is the manage- 

 ment, and how unproductive the labors of the 

 agents of the public, and of all joint stock associa- 

 tions: and if a farm of the richest soil, and ccrm- 

 pletely stocked, was managed in like manner, it 

 Avoidd most. likely yield loss, rather thari profit, on 

 the investment of capital. For all these reasohs, 

 it would be safest not to calculate on any pecuniary 

 ])rofit behig derived from such establishments; but 

 to look for the benefits to be derived, from other 

 sources, and through other means; and these will 

 be found to promise- so rich a harvest, that the 

 commomveaUh may well' afford to pay the cost of 

 making such experiments. ' . 



Though an experiment sometimes leads at once 

 to highly profitable results, such cases are very 

 rare; and whatever may be the value of the truths 

 thus established, to the public, the individual who. 

 institutes exjieriments in agriculture, is almost sure 

 to lose by ninety-nine of them in tlie hundred — 

 and to have his losses increased (oii ■ the average) 

 in proportion to the care, accuracy, and patience 

 with which he conducts his experiments. In other 

 words, his losses increase in proportion to the in- 

 erease of benefit which the public derive (or might 

 derive if they were made known,) from his labors. 

 It is not therefore surprising that there are but 

 fiiw experiments made by individual farmers — and 

 scarcely any conducted in the careful, patient, and 

 expensive manner which is required, to obtain un- 

 doubted and valuable results. But this is not the 

 worst. Though not one truth is ascertained by 

 experiment, where one hundred ought to be, and 

 might be, even the few which are discovered re- 

 main unknown to the public, and are often Ibrgot- 



to his country, as they are to be hurtful to his own. 

 private interest. 



In conformity with the \'iews formerly expressed 

 on the subject of the legislative aid needed lor the 

 improvement of agriculture in Virginia, I shall not 

 notice those means which other.:; have treated of 

 in the Farmers' Register; and I may pass over the 

 discussion of the importance of experiments, and 

 the course respecting them which agricultural 

 societies ought to pui-sue, because these parts of 

 the subject have been considered at large, in seve- 

 ral pieces in the eaiiy numbers of this journal. 

 Taking it for granted, or as proved, that numerous 

 v.'oll planned and well conducted experiments on 

 the dity)utcd and doubtful points in agriculture, 

 would b'e highly beneficial, (if^ not more beneficial 

 than all other aids,) to the improvement of agricul- 

 tural science and practice, I proceed to maintain, 

 that to secure this end, the state should establish 

 one or more experimental -and pattern farms — not 

 to reap fanning profits^but to obtain and dissemi- 

 nate agricultural truths. 



Jf there were a do5:en'such establishments, there 

 would be no lack of proper subjects for experi- 

 ments. Indeed it may be truly said that there are 

 more doctrines and facts in doubt, than have yel 

 been clearly settled. Biit I am not advocating so 

 large a commencement. One such farm would 

 be enough to render great general benefit, and 

 would consume but a small portion of the liinds 

 Avhich the legislature ought to appropriate, and I 

 hope will appropriate, for the general improve.ment 

 of agriculture. 



But though I consider profitable farming as out 

 of the question on such an establishment as I pro- 

 pose, it does not follow that it may not show what 

 good Itirming is, and serve as the best of models 

 tor profitable farms. If 'it was intended to test 

 the value of the product to be derived Irom a clover 

 fallow, such as has been described by Mr. Carter 

 and Mr. Selden in the "Farmers' Register, and lor 

 that purpose all the operatioris were conducted in 

 the most perfect manner, and the crops of wheat 

 Avere to be thereby . doubled — it would not lessen 

 the value of the result, that no regard . had been 

 paid to economy in the general management. If 

 there was exhibited an im))ortant result from the 

 preparation of a certain field in a particular mode, 

 or with particular kmds of ploughs and harrows, 

 we could imitate tlie process, and obtain the like 

 results, without imitating the bad and wasteful 

 managemerit which might have been evident in 

 thatj as in every other operation. When engi- 

 neers, chemists, and scientific mechanics, have 

 made a series" of^ experiments to establish some 

 particular truths?, who was ever so silly as to ex- 

 pect profit from such experiments, or to undervalue, 

 the results on account of their cost ? Governmenfa 

 have often ordered such experiments, and their 

 wisdom iri so doing has always been deservedly 

 applauded. Let our government only do the same 

 for agriculture, which has a ten fold greater claim 

 than all other arts, and has a ten ibid greatier need 

 of such assistance. ' . . 



. It would be worth the employing- 6f the best 

 chemical talent that our counti-y can produce, and 

 the expenditure of !g! 10,000, if so much was re- 

 quired, to carry through a proper series of experi- 



ten completely, for want of sufficient riieans off ments on the preparation, preservation, and use of 

 communication: and thus, the labors of the ex- barn-yard and stable manure. All sorts of con- 

 perimenting farmer are almost as sure to be useless 1 tradictory opinions are held and acted upon on this . 



