The Country Gentleman Volume 73, PT. 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1908 edition. Excerpt: ...is just as badly injured by being induced to buy a brand that is inferior to what the analysis indicates as by being unfairly prejudiced against a valuable article by a statement that does it less than justice. What is wanted is the actual truth about the value of the material for application to the farmer's soil; and if APRIL 2, 1908. anything is certain, we believe it to be that such truth, in available form, is not to be obtained by considering only the figures of anybody's bulletin; and that to regard this publication as a regular Bible of the subject, is to labor under what may prove a very costly delusion against which all country residents should be warned. The most serious reason for doubting these figures, by far the most serious reason, is yet to be named. It is this: Possible Errors in Sampling. There is always the possibility, men being what they are, of very grave misdoings, whether by accident, ignorance or design, in taking the samples. We believe the whole system of sampling as it is actually in operation to-day is utterly wrong, in that it does and must leave open a lot of doors for errors in numerable, errors quite sufficient to de stroy what would be the value of the work if we were sure that the chemists never go wrong. The material may have been greatly changed after shipment; it may have become very dry, raising the percentage of its mineral content; it may have become damp. possibly washing something out and certainly decreasing the percentage of mineral; various other mischances may have befallen it; and in any eventand this is the vital point--there never is and never can be sufilcient proof that it has not been tampered with. Then again, the samples may be unskillfully taken--or dishonestly taken. We have...