458 [Assembly 



ceded it, and the question of skilful husbandry becomes one not 

 merely of pecuniary interest of dollars and cents, but one which 

 concerns the comfort and the well being of the human race, and 

 we will best understand how to render our fields fertile and have 

 an abundance of food by first acquainting ourselves with some of 

 the natural laws which govern its production, some of which I 

 will briefly state. 



It is one of the qualities of every substance, that whatever space 

 it occupies, it occupies to the exclusion of every other substance, 

 and this principle is peculiarly applicable to the business of farm- 

 ing, for to the extent that any noxious weed is produced in the 

 soil, to the same extent must every useful' plant be excluded, and 

 if suffered to go to seed must result in a multiplication of the evil; 

 and I cannot think that either the men or the descendants of the 

 men who have redeemed this fine country from the furest.willbe 

 long in deciding the question which shall occupy their soil, wheat 

 or blue grass. 



The germ of every plant derives its first nourishment from the 

 substance of the seed, and its growth is vigorous or otherwise, other 

 circumstances being equal, in proportion to ihe amount of nour- 

 ishment which the seed contains; and let no man tell you that 

 shrunk seed is as good as any, and cheaper, because there are 

 more kernels in a bushel. 



The elementary substances which go to make up the food and 

 raiment of man, have all existed since the creation, and the busi- 

 ness of production is not one of creating a substance, but of trans- 

 formation from a conditiun useless, to one that is useful for the 

 satisfaction of some human want. Growth follows decay, and de- 



« 



cay furnishes the elements for reproduction; and the farmer often 

 has the satisfaction of changing matter from a state of death and 

 decomposition, loathsome and offensive to the senses, into forms of 

 life and beauty, pleasing to the eye and grateful to the taste. 



Food of A aim:, Is. 



The food of man mainly consists of vegetables and the flesh of 

 domestic animals. The food of domestic animals and the materi- 

 al for the growth of vegetation is derived from the earth and air. 

 The food of every animal, man included, before it is fitted to add 



