THE SCIENTIFIC FARMER. 29 



note what was said of us behind our backs, and let me know, 

 without mentioning names. The subjects discussed were the 

 usual ones of soil composition, the action of water in the soil, 

 plant physiology, the physics of plant growth, and the like, 

 and, as a special effort was being made by the College of 

 Agriculture, care was taken that each subject should be 

 presented by specialists. In almost every instance the reports 

 made to me showed that, while most of those present were 

 interested, there were always some who were not, and the 

 great majority of farmers did not come near us at all. The 

 usual remark made about us by this class of farmers was that 



we were a " lot of theorists." I indicate the adjective 



in order to show that the speakers were moved not merely by 

 indifference, but by positive dislike. They considered us con- 

 ceited mischief-makers. One of this class, after listening for 

 a short time to a lecture on the treatment of faulty soils by 

 one of the greatest living authorities on that subject, went 

 out and reported to a congregation of his fellows on a street 

 corner that "them fellers can't I'arn me nothin','' and straight- 

 way the party repaired to a neighboring grocery, and spent 

 the day playing pedro. Of course these were specially low- 

 minded men, probably incapable of improvement, and not 

 destined to survive, but there is no doubt that more or less 

 of this feeling exists in much bettor men, and is the greatest 

 obstacle to profitable farming by small farmers. 



The word "theorist," by the way, is a favorite expression 

 among this class of persons. Now no sane person ever engages 

 in any agricultural operation except upon some "theory" of 

 his own. He performs certain work upon the "theory" that 

 some particular result will follow. So we are all theorists. If 

 our theory is based upon accurate and complete knowledge, it 

 is pretty sure to be sound; if otherwise, there is great danger 

 that it may be unsound, and results not desired follow our work. 

 In calling scientific farmers "theorists," the uneducated man 

 means, so far as he means anything, to say that the scientific 

 man does not know his facts, but a.ssumes things to be true 

 which are not true, or not all the truth. In this assumption the 

 objector is guilty of the same intellectual crime of which he 



