EXPERIMENTAL FARMS AND STATIONS. 44 1 



not that necessity for it, and there is not the probability of 

 even any practical utility from it, which seems to be ex- 

 pected. There is scarcely a useful experiment which there 

 are not agriculturists in the country ready to make. 

 Indeed, there is scarcely any extensive and intelligent 

 farmer who is not engaged in experiments of some kind 

 or other ; and these experiments, it is to be observed, are 

 performed under circumstances the most favourable for 

 leading to useful results, and ultimately to general imita- 

 tion. When the results are successful, there are innumer- 

 able channels by which they can be communicated to the 

 country ; and there are near all such farms agriculturists 

 sufficiently observant of what is going on, who will avail 

 themselves of what is good, and reject what seems to be 

 erroneous.' In regard to the funds required for an experi- 

 mental farm, the committee stated that the late Sir John 

 Sinclair calculated that a sum of ^5000 a-year would be 

 required to carry it on ; and that the late Mr Henry 

 Stephens calculated that not less than five thousand acres 

 of arable and pasture land would be required to carry on 

 experiments in merely the ordinary branches of agriculture, 

 the ground rent alone being at least ;^50oo a-year, and the 

 capital necessary for stocking it iJ"20,ooo. Both Sir John 

 and Mr Stephens were strenuous advocates for experimen- 

 tal farms. 



The committee added their opinion that they could 

 not believe ' that the Society can so advantageously employ 

 the funds at its command, in endeavouring to set an ex- 

 ample of good farming to others, or in making experiments 

 with a view to discovery and improvement, as by encourag- 

 ing the agriculturists of the country to afford these examples 

 and make these experiments. This has been the course 

 which the Society has pursued ever since its institution, 

 and no sufficient reason has yet been assigned to show that 

 it would be wise to abandon a course thus sanctioned by 

 experience.' Before closing their report, the committee 

 made certain suggestions in regard to the premiums offered 

 and the subjects proposed by the Directors for scientific 

 investigations. The Directors, on i6th December 1840, 



