Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 43.djvu/111

Rh Never before in history have scientific workers been so practical as now. We live in essentially a practical age, and men live better, more intelligently, and more easily than ever before. Practical problems engage the attention of the scientist over all others; and so, instead of ridicule, science as applied to the farm is now receiving most respectful consideration, for the work is practical, and sound practice always receives respectful attention.

Science is knowledge. There is no scientific farming. The highest type of farming is intelligent farming. The intelligent farmer of to-day is simply making use of certain scientific facts that have a practical application.

For a half century science has been laboring in the interests of agriculture. This year the United States appropriates nearly one million dollars for scientific experimentation as applied to agriculture. And yet but few farmers realize how material is the assistance being given the agricultural classes of the country through the direct application of accomplished scientific work. In view of this condition of affairs, in the following pages I propose to give illustrations of what is now in practical use, showing how science has helped and is helping the farmer. These examples signify something. They mean a saving of millions of dollars to the people of the country. Millions have been saved to the farmers in the past; millions will be saved in the future; and all through the aid of scientific research.

The first real substantial assistance received by the farming public from science was in the examination and inspection of commercial fertilizers. Liebig demonstrated that plants secured most of their nutrition from soil ingredients. Nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid were those most in demand by the plant, and where crops were removed from the soil these articles of plant food were diminished, thereby reducing cropping capacity. Soil exhaustion in a measure followed if these substances were not returned to feed subsequent crops. Natural manures (animal excrement) contained nitrogen, potash, and phosphoric acid; consequently soil fertility could be maintained by the application of these. But chemistry here came to the farmer's aid, by suggesting that the various essentials of plant food be supplied in artificially prepared form. Nitrogen could be obtained from Peruvian guano and animal matter, potash from wood ashes or German salts, and phosphoric acid from bones; consequently these substances could be supplied as desired. With the propagation of this idea was developed the commercial fertilizer, and artificial manures were made and sold on the market as is any other commodity. However, it was not long before much fraudulent material found its way into the buyer's hands; many dealers were not honest, and farmers were often outrageously swindled. Here,