No. 112.] 515 



may come somewhat near the value of his farm stock at the end 

 of a long winter, besides being able to give a satisfactory account 

 to a higher power of the many days of labor and toil alloted him 

 in the past year. How much preferable and liov/ much more 

 worthy of intelligent beings, would such an odrer of things be, to 

 the present systen of guessing, which, to a great extent now pre- 

 vails among us. I am aware that there are many who esteem en- 

 lightened agricfilture as the offspring' of enthusiasm, and though 

 willing to admit that something is necessary to be done for the 

 poor farmers, are still reluctant to walk in the wake of the al- 

 ready developed light of science,and tenaciously cling to that glo- 

 riously alluring ignus fatuus or will-of-the-wisp, called "common 

 sense," or " practical men." Would they only adopt the latter 

 in its legitimate sense, I could see no objections; but they take 

 them altogether in a one-sided view. The man who from year 

 to year plods on, industriously to be sure, but still in the dark> 

 with sometimes a good crop and sometimes a bad one, the reasons 

 for either alike concentrated in the season or the moon, is their 

 practical man. Why? Because he practices or exercises on the 

 farm I suppose, for I can see no other reason. No, gentlemen, this 

 is short of the aim. Interpret a " practical man " to be one who, 

 from his cultivated understanding, brings the light of science to 

 verify his practice in the field of that science, and I will cheerfully 

 concede to you that theirs is our best example. What makes the 

 practical navigator? — the mathematician combined with the sai- 

 lor. What makes the statesman ? — the science of government com- 

 bined with a knowledge of mankind. What makes the military 

 commander? — the science of war with the covp d'oeilot the gener- 

 al. What makes the architect ? — ^the science of mechanics com- 

 bined with the several arts of masonry, carpentering and drawing. 

 These, gentlemen, are practical men, each in his particular calling; 

 and show me a practical man (in thi.s sense,) in agriculture, and 

 I will cheerfully join his standartl — that is to say, a man who has 

 been instructed in the various sciences of chemistry, botany, geo- 

 logy, mineralogy, meteorology and {diysiology, or the science of 

 the pri)j)ertie3 of the functions of aniiULils and plants, and at the 

 same time is conversant with the various manual operations of the 

 farm, is one whom I should call a "practical farmer." 



