70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



say a few words in relation to experiments in general, and 

 some other matters relating to our experiments. Almost 

 before the Agricultural College was inaugurated as a school, 

 I, as the responsible head of the agricultural department, was 

 told by the trustees that I should be expected to institute 

 and carry forward agricultural experiments. "Very good; 

 but what are your experiments, gentlemen?" "Oh, experi- 

 ments with fertilizers ; experiments with soil ; experiments 

 with crops ; experiments with cattle." "Yes ; but specifically, 

 what experiments?" And echo answered, "specifically, rohat 

 experiments?" The farmers of the State gathered around 

 me and said, "Your mission here is to try experiments." 

 "What experiments do you want tried? What is there that 

 you do not know which you wish to know from nature, by 

 putting questions to her?" Said an intelligent practical 

 farmer from Berkshire County, "You should experiment with 

 phosphates, and if you can show to the farmers of the Com- 

 monwealth that phosphates are needed to grow wheat, and 

 that they can grow wheat with phosphates, you will confer 

 upon the farmers of this State a pecuniary benefit a thousand- 

 fold greater than all your institution has or ever will cost." 

 Many others said, "We want you to experiment with com- 

 mercial fertilizers." They said, "The country is flooded with 

 commercial fertilizers, — some good, some bad, and some 

 indifferent. Now, it is your mission to try experiments with 

 these commercial fertilizers, and tell us farmers which are the 

 good and which are the bad, so that we need not throw our 

 money away in buying worthless articles." Other farmers 

 said, "You should experiment in underdraiuing, and teach us 

 whether underdraining is an improvement or not." Others 

 said, "You must experiment with stock, so that we may 

 know which is the best breed of cattle to have on the farm." 

 Now, farmers look at it ! Let me take the track backwards. 

 "Experiment with stock, to see which is the best breed of 

 cattle to have on the farm." Experiment with machines, to 

 see which is the best machine for the farm ! Machine for 

 what? breed of cattle for what? "Experiment in under- 

 draining." Why, is there a man who ever thought, from 

 Columella down to this time, who did not know, or does not 

 know to-day, that underdraining is no experiment ; that it was 



