16(5 J-J.rperiences up to the end of October. 1904. 



have opportunities of studying it in the field in all its details, and 

 are practically shown the importance of carefully attending to 

 them. 



10. For the general adoption of the s3-3tem three things are 

 absolutely necessary — (1) That farmers should be able to study the 

 details of my system on a farm conducted as mine has been, on a 

 system that is within reach of any ordinary farmer ; (2) that he 

 should have the financial results clearly proved to him ; and 

 (3) that seedsmen should be compelled by Act of Parliament to 

 guarantee the purity, trueness, and germinating power of the seeds 

 they sell. 



11. Tlie first two difficulties can be successfully overcome if the 

 Government takes over my Clifton-on-Bowmont farm, and uses it as 

 a basis from which to start several such farms in various parts of the 

 kingdom ; but after a practical experience of more than a quarter of 

 a century, I feel sure that no rapid progress can even then be made 

 unless the same policy is pursued in the case of seeds aa is pursued 

 in the sale of other articles where the purchaser is protected from 

 adulteration by Act of Parliament. 



12. If the Government were to take up a poor, exhausted farm, as 

 Clifton-on-Bowmont was when I took it in hand, it would require 

 from ten to twelve years to prove, to the satisfaction of farmers, what 

 the Government could now prove were it to take over the farm and 

 spread intelligence as regards the system. 



13. Unless the Government accepts my offer of the farm at market 

 rates, the results proved on it would certainly be lost in the event 

 of my death, and the valuable details of many experiments of great 

 practical importance would disappear. 



14. From studying Arthur Young's great unpublished work, and 

 observing, from other sources of information, what valuable experi- 

 ences and discoveries have been gradually lost sight of from the 

 inertness of our Government in failing to record, and practically 

 illustrate by demonstration farms, facts of the greatest value to 

 agriculture, I feel confident that the views I have above expressed 

 are sound. 



15. From the numerous visitors to Clifton-on-Bowmont I have 

 received most gratifying opinions as to the value of my work. An 

 agriculturist, whose opinion I highly value, in writing to me lately, 

 said — "What I saw the other day convinces me that you have 

 revolutionized the methods hitherto pursued, proved to the hilt that 

 the old are very inferior in results to those you advocate, and I 

 cannot but believe that sooner or later — the old dies hard — what you 

 have so persistently laboured at will be generally adopted." 



16. Though work on the lines, as shown in the reports of the 

 Board, cannot accomplish the ends indicated in par. 10, I by no 

 means wish the reader to infer that the work of the Board is of 

 little value. All that I wish to insist on is that it never can be of 

 the value that it might be unless it is accompanied by practical 

 examples like those on my Clifton-on-Bowmont farm — examples which 



