ESSENTIALS TO AGRICULTURAL INQUIRY. 71 



tried out generations ago? Everybody knows that under- 

 draining pays, as a rule. "Experiment with phosphates, to 

 see if they will produce wheat." Does not every man know, 

 and has not every man known for long years, that phosphates 

 are absolutely essential for wheat, aDd that no experiments 

 are needed to find it out? And does not every man know 

 equally well, that it is absolutely impossible to grow wheat on 

 phosphates alone? It cannot be done, and we all know it. 

 What is the use of trying experiments? 



It seems to me that in trying experiments, the first and 

 essential thing is, that the experimenter shall have a perfectly 

 clear, distinct and definite idea of what he wants to learn. 

 Having first a complete knowledge of all that is known at the 

 present time on that subject, he should be able clearly and 

 distinctly to define that which is not known, but which he 

 desires to know. Then he should have a special and practi- 

 cal knowledge of all the circumstances attending the case, 

 that he may be able to put his questions to nature, by way of 

 experiments, in such a manner that nature can make, if pos- 

 sible, a categorical answer ; and, if not a categorical answer, he 

 himself should have such complete and acute discernment and 

 powers of observation that he shall be able to interpret 

 nature's answer, if it is not specific and direct. Then, if his 

 experiments are with fertilizers, he should have an absolute 

 practical knowledge of the material with which he experi- 

 ments. For instance, if he supposes himself to be experi- 

 menting with a phosphate, he should know absolutely that he 

 has a phosphate with which to experiment, and not a sulphate. 

 If he thinks he is experimenting with ammonia for the sake of 

 the nitrogen, he should know absolutely that he has nitrogen 

 or ammonia, and not the odor of coal-tar, or the odor of any 

 other vile compound that the fertilizer-manufacturer may palm 

 off upon him. That is absolutely essential. 



Another point is this : In experiments with fertilizers, and, 

 for that matter, in the ordinary use of fertilizers on the farm, 

 the experimenter, and, I feel bound to say, the farmer, too, 

 should utterly discard and disown any experiments, or any 

 use of any fertilizers on laud that is in an improper physical 

 condition. That is the first thiug to be attended to before 

 you talk about experimenting, to see that the land is in first- 



