Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 338]

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330 seed or clover seed, giving 'the different ways in which these things shall be sowed, and see by comparison, by weighing the result and accurate observation what the relative differences are between these series of experiments. There were gentlemen, too, in our State and in other States, who were anxious to compete in the matter of artificial manures. A series of plats were set apart for them, and they furnished artificial manure, different compositions, giving certain statements of their composition. We bought in the market, without the knowledge of these men, certain other quantities of these manures, so as to test the fact as to whether they were genuine articles or not; whether they were a fair sample on not. These manures were applied and their virtues are expected to be determined to some extent by these experiments. We have, besides that, another tier of plats for experimenting in grains, different varieties of grain, seeds and vegetables. These are set apart entirely to this purpose, and seeds are put on those plats and acclimated, brought into such condition that although they might not succeed the first year, yet they are tried again and again, and attempts are made to acclimate these seeds; and one of the objects of this whole matter of experimenting in these different seeds is to find out what seeds are adapted to one sort of climate, and find what seeds are adapted to our own State, and then when we have found out a number of varieties that seem to do well, and tried them on our model farm and thoroughly tested their virtues, then distribute them to the farmers over the State, at the regular prices of wheat, not charging the fancy prices that men charge who keep wheat for sale and make a business of experimenting for profit, but to give them at ordinary prices. The idea is to disseminate these seeds through the State, that farmers may get the benefit. This, gentlemen, is, in brief, an outliue of our series of experiments. We publish these experiments in pamphlet form. They are only what you see; we do not as yet attempt to draw any conclusion whatever, from them. It is done exactly as the programme has prescribed ; that is followed out to the letter. Wherever, through accident or neglect, any discrepancy does exist, that is noted on the books, and will be considered in any general collection of these things, or any report that may be made of them when it is attempted to draw conclusions. W e think that if these experiments are carried on for a number of years, and are then compared one with another, probably some light will be thrown upon these three objects which we have attempted to experiment upon, namely: the rotation of crops, and methods of culture;