BULLETIN 260 

 BARN AND FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN 1916. 



REPORTED BY CHAS. D. WOODS. 



The work of investigation at the two experiment station 

 farms (Aroostook Farm, Presque Isle, and Highmoor Farm, 

 Monmouth) is planned by the Director, the Biologists, the Plant 

 Pathologist and the Entomologist. The results of the more 

 scientific phases of the studies are reported from time to time 

 in the bulletins, but it always happens that there are results 

 obtained that lie somewhat outside of the lines of work of any 

 of the Station specialists. Some of the more popular and prac- 

 tical results are here reported. The carrying out of these ex- 

 periments and the taking of the requisite notes devolved upon 

 different members of the Staff. 



DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM FIELD 

 EXPERIMENTS 



Field experiments at the best are somewhat uncertain be- 

 cause there are so many factors of soil, temperature, rainfall, 

 and the like, that affect the results which are beyond the control 

 of the experimenter. In like manner ordinary feeding and other 

 experiments with animals are outside of laboratory control 

 and are beset with uncertainties that render conclusions more 

 or less uncertain. It is, therefore, always planned at this Sta- 

 tion to carry the same experiment under as nearly as possible 

 the same conditions through a series of years before attempt- 

 ing to draw any very definite conclusions. The results here re- 

 ported should be considered more in the light of reports of 

 progress than of completed studies. It may happen that the 

 teaching that a single year's results seem to warrant may be 

 reversed by the repetition of the experiment in other years 

 under dift'erent climatic or other conditions. 



