Statistical Science and Agricultural Research

Extract

In a comparatively short paper, no complete survey of the range of agricultural problems whose solution involves statistical methods can be given. I have therefore chosen to confine myself to one particular theme, the development of the modern field experiment, even though this has meant that I must present a rather unbalanced picture on account of the omission of other important topics such as the use of sampling methods. During six years in the Statistical Department of the Rothamsted Experimental Station, I spent much time in the planning and analysis of a large annual programme of field experiments, and I have illustrated my paper with examples drawn from the work of this Station, at which many of the new ideas in field-experimentation were first tried. I have not attempted to discuss mathematical details at all fully, for the pure mathematics of statistics is a large subject in itself; my present concern is to show some of the practical applications of the theory.