STATE POMOLOQICAL SOCIETY. 79 



they have only approximated to such an important result. As- 

 tronomera have labored for centuries with the aid of the most 

 costly instruments, to ascertain the distance of the earth from the 

 sun, and are still conscious that they may be in error one or two 

 millions of miles. 



The same fact is true of agriculture. Tt is not an exact science, 

 but every step we take in the right direction leads us nearer to a 

 correct measurement. I have no patience with that class of men 

 who will have nothing unless it is absolutely perfect. They are 

 always disagreeable and useless men. We all travel through dark 

 and mazy forests, and by different and often winding patlis in our 

 search after truth. Dark and crooked though our way may be, it 

 is no excuse for us to shut our eyes to every glimmering ray, and 

 go utterly blindfolded. We constantly put in exercise our better 

 judgment, with the full assurance in the outset that no infallible 

 rules can be given. We can only partially explain all the pro- 

 cesses of nature. She works silently and secretly. We witness 

 everj'^ day some result of her operations, and trace them back as 

 well as we can to their cause. lie who cultivates his powers of 

 observation, and carefully watches the relations between causes 

 and effects, is the man who is the most likely to succeed in the 

 cultivation of an orchard. He cannot do it by theorizing, but by 

 careful experiment. He must take facts and use them just as he 

 finds them. No man who lived in the Eastern countries three 

 thousand years ago, ever imagined that an apple could be kept 

 over winter. At last the fact was established that it could be 

 done, and everybody now acts in accordance with it. 



We have thus far observed the action of carbonic acid only as 

 an instrument for unlocking the mineral substances in the soils, 

 which are taken np by the roots of plants. We must add to our 

 soil for an orchard, manures of vegetable and animal origin. 

 These contain the satne elements as the rocks themselves, but 

 they are set free by the aid of anoth«^r element, oxygen, or if you 

 choose to call it, common air. This element attacks j'our ma- 

 nures, and sets free the mineral substances, besides forming new 

 compounds, ammonia, water and carbonic acid. Thus you have 

 two very impo/tant agencies at work in the preparation of your 

 soil, carbonic acid, and oxygen. 



Carbonic acid does not enter the roots of plants, but is taken 

 from the atmosphere. Look at a single green leaf. It is a won- 

 derful thing. You can take some charcoal, or carbon, and by 



