260 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



seem to be the most hopeless of all human callings ; -fthereas "we 

 know it was not only the first occupation of man. but that millions 

 of men, during many centuries before these sciences had so much as 

 a name, sowed and reaped and gathered into barns, and were fed from 

 the fruit of their labors. It may also be asked, if any special edu- 

 cation in particular branches of science would be of real benefit to 

 the farmer, why has not the demand produced the supply? Why a 

 system of agricultural education has not long ago grown up to sup- 

 ply the necessity 7 It may help us here, to consider the history 

 and position of agriculture compared with other arts. The art of 

 agriculture is a great deal older than its own philosophy, and during 

 very many centuries, practice was gradually improving, very slowly 

 indeed, and perhaps scarcely perceptible from one generation to 

 another, but still on the whole, gaining something from experience 

 and observation, until at last, when science was born, she had an 

 immense labor to perform before she could catch up with the then 

 existing condition of the art, and explain fully the why and the 

 wherefore of what was already known of successful practice. On 

 some points science has not only done this, but has shot far ahead 

 of practice, and can in these respects, teach improved methods. 

 Upon others, it is doubtful if such is yet the case, but no doubt 

 exists that she can and will do so. 



With many other pursuits with which agriculture has had to 

 compete in these latter times, the case is far difierent : instead of 

 beginning with centuries of practice, during which men's wits were 

 sharpened by the necessity of having food to eat, these were born of 

 science itself, and the same science which gave them birth, has 

 steadily nurtured and watched over and strengthened them. Men 

 engaged in these occupations, sit down at the very outset to study 

 the principles involved ; while with agriculture, its practice to this 

 day, with the great mass of farmers, is so thoroughly empirical that 

 science is scarcely yet recognized as having any legitimate connexion 

 with it, and it is manifestly unreasonable to expect that a system of 

 agricultural education would grow up until the necessity for it was 

 felt. 



On the other point, viz., the hopelessness of acquiring complete 

 scientific knowledge, it may suffice to say, that no one contends that 

 the farmer must obtain a perfect mastery of all the sciences which 



