10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



mine his worth to himself, his friends' and the world. When we 

 stop to reflect that about nine-tenths of the solid wealth of this 

 great nation, and nearl}' all its prosperity depend upon its agricul- 

 tural resources and development, it seems to be sufficient evidence 

 that it is necessar}' for those who are engaged in farming, as a 

 mission, to be liberally educated. Political economy, with its 

 strongest maxims, claims that the producers call into existence all 

 the wealthy, build up money-kings faster, support professional 

 life, and keep in motion the locomotive and merchant ships. Finally, 

 it is the life of an oceanic and inter-State commerce. Why, 

 every railroad that checkers our broad land would be bankrupt, all 

 property would depreciate to nothing in value, and the land would 

 be filled with beggars and idlers, instead of a well-fed, industrious 

 people, if not for a prosperous agriculture. Hence, earth tilling is 

 the great basis that supports every business and calling of life. The 

 exchange of its productions creates wealth and prosperity, and 

 makes us all rich or poor. Whv should not government bestow its 

 fostering care upon this most important industry? It is not my 

 purpose to criticise government, either State or national. With the 

 utmost confidence in our legislators, that if called upon to aid by 

 legislation to foster and improve our agricultural interests whereby 

 the farmers could become better educated, I feel assured that there 

 would be but few who would fail to recognize it as a paramount 

 dut}' to the race. The first and purest inspiration of the statesman 

 should be to aid it, the most cheerful duty of the people to pay 

 for it. No burden is oppressive to the intelligent tax-paj'er that is 

 carried on in the interests of popular education. 



Success or failure in life, as I believe, is more a question of edu- 

 cation than of original endowment, inasmuch as God creates nothing 

 in vain. Not a human being of normal birth but is capable of fill- 

 ing some position with honor to himself, and benefit to the world, if 

 fitted for the duties of that position by proper training. The farm 

 is a great school of study. It takes sound judgment and long ex- 

 perience to master the rotation of crops, the relative merits of labor- 

 saving machinery, the mysteries of sub-soiling, plowing, planting 

 and harvesting field crops, raising and improving and feeding stock, 

 the culture of fruits and flowers, the knowledge of compost manure, 

 the value of commercial fertilizers, and the chemical properties of 

 the soil, the philosophy of vegetable physiology, the millions of 

 microscopic insects that invest the products of the garden and farm, 



