34 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It has seemed to me that on this occasion, in the year u^liich 

 marks the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the 

 first American Experiment Station, it is entire!}' fitting to ask 

 these questions, and to discuss our relation to their future 

 satisfactory answer. 



It is not my purpose at this time to attempt a statistical enu- 

 meration and discussion of our appliances for education and 

 investigation, or to undertake a detailed criticism of the methods 

 in vogue in the College and Experiment Station. I do propose, 

 however, to call attention to certain general considerations which 

 I believe should have a controlling influence in the development 

 of class-room and popular instruction, and in the various lines of 

 experiment and investigation. 



The subject that is set for discussion is. Conservatism in 

 Scientific Agriculture, whicli perhaps needs a preliminary defini- 

 tion as indicating the lines of thought which it is proposed to 

 follow. 



The conservatism for which I would contend is that which is 

 induced by a recognition of three truths : 



First. The proper cultivation of the man is fundamental to 

 the safe development and right use of material resources. 



Second. The education, that in agriculture is primarily im- 

 portant, proceeds from instruction in the relations of matter and 

 energy and in the scientific facts and principles which enter into 

 and environ life, rather than in imparting the technics and 

 manual skill of the farm. 



Third. Substantial progress in any art must be based upon 

 an accurate knowledge of underlying truths. 



Scientific Agriculture is commonly understood to be the prac- 

 tice of agriculture in accordance with the known facts and prin- 

 ciples of science, but in our discussion today we will understand 

 it to include as well the various organizations and activities that 

 are auxiliary to agriculture as the means of rendering it more 

 rational. Our subject involves, therefore : 



(1.) The Experiment Station. 



(2.) College and School Instruction. 



(3.) The Farmers' Institute. 



(4.) The Press. 



(5.) The Farmer. 



