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experiments, to pay the most pointed attention to the mode of con- 

 ducting them ; their progress ; the circumstances under which they 

 are begun and carried on ; and their actual resuUs. 



I beheve it must be admitted, that there is no class of men of bu- 

 siness so little attentive to exactness, in all their operations ; and 

 none more ready to draw hasty conclusions, or to deal in what are 

 mere guesses, than farmers. 



I certainly design no disrespect to the farmers, when I give an 

 example of a conversation to which I am too often a party. Indeed 

 1 should be almost willing to give offence, if I could by any means 

 induce to more precision and carefulness. 



Thus : if I ask a farmer, if he has used lime on his land or his 

 crops ? he answers, yes. In what quantity to the acre ? he did not 

 measure the lime or the land. Could he see any difference where 

 he limed, and where he did not lime ? he limed the whole field 

 equally. Did he apply it with or without manure, single or in com- 

 post, or did he apply it to a part of the field with or without manure .'' 

 he applied it to all parts of the field in the same way. Did he per- 

 ceive any good effects upon the field thus limed and manured .'' yes. 

 How were these effects ascertained ? did he measure the crop ? no, 

 he measured nothing, but he was of opinion that the land was bene- 

 fited by the application ; he thought there was a difference in the 

 result from what would have been, had it not been limed. But was 

 this difference attributable to the lime or the manure ? it was all limed 

 and manured alike ; but he supposed it was t!ie lime. I might go on, 

 but this will suffice. This is a true account of the manner in which 

 my inquiries are often answered ; and shows how what farmers call 

 experiments are often conducted. But can any thing be plainer, 

 than that by such experiments no certainty is reached. Whether any 

 advantage was obtained from liming alone, or liming with manure can- 

 not be determined, because the field was all served alike, and there 

 were, therefore, no means of comparison. Again ; if the crop is not 

 measured and compared with a crop not thus managed, how can it be 

 determined what has or has not been gained ? Again : if neither 

 part was served with lime alone, and neither with manure alone, and 

 neither part separately from the part with lime and manure in combi- 

 nation, how could any thing be determined in regard to the compara- 

 tive value or use of lime or manure singly or in conjunction .'' Then 



