260 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



To collect these facts is a slow and tedious process, 

 not very flattering to that pride of opinion which 

 delights in speculative theories, and which sickens 

 at the thought of the labour necessary to make and 

 record accurate experiments in agriculture. In no 

 other way, 1 think, can we account for those differ- 

 ences of opinion as to matters of practice which are 

 often found among our brethren where all the facts 

 are on one side. But unwillingness to believe in 

 that which we cannot explain in some way to grat- 

 ify our vanity, gave rise to the sect of skeptic phi- 

 losophers, and, it is to be feared, will keep up the 

 race as long as the world stands. Let me not be 

 here misunderstood. Far be it from me to object 

 to theory and speculation, provided the sole object 

 be to arrive at truth. As this should be the aim of 

 all, I am in favour of the utmost latitude of discus- 

 sion in the honest pursuit of it. But I do, and must 

 ever protest against that practice, which is far too 

 common among us, of regarding plausible and appa- 

 rently scientific conjectures more than the actual 

 results of experiments fairly and accurately made ; 

 so that not unfrequently we indulge our fancies with 

 the former, even in direct opposition to the latter. 

 Take, for example, the two conflicting theories as 

 to the best mode of applying manures, and test them 

 by the uniformly-concurring results of the several 

 experiments which 1 have stated. All these results 

 undeniably prove that the surface-application was 

 the best, although the kinds of manure differed con- 

 siderably. And what^actj have we in opposition to 

 this 1 Not one : nothing but the conjecture that the 

 evaporation from surface-spread manure must carry 

 off the greater and the best portion of the food of 

 plants therein contained. But that such evapora- 

 tion cannot so act seems to me to be unquestion- 

 ably proved by every fact I have mentioned : for, if 

 it did, then the land of summer cattle-pens, plough- 

 ed up as soon as the cattle were removed, would in 



