MR. LEBROKE'S ADDRESS. 215 



streams, and the tributary streams carry it into the ocean, bearing 

 with it immense manurial wealth, and the additional fact, that in 

 all our large cities, vast quantities of fertilizing material are daily 

 drained into the rivers and through the rivers into the ocean, — all 

 these things, I say, although I do not pretend to be an agri- 

 culturist, I have thought of for years. When you can stem this 

 current, when, as was suggested by my friend, you can make some 

 discovery or invention which will supply this waste, you will have 

 done a great deal. 



It very often happens, however, that men seek some great boon 

 at a distance, when it lies at their own doors. I see my friend 

 Mr. Jefferds here. I was passing his house yesterday, and I re- 

 marked to my wife that there was a place from Avhich a large 

 granite rock has been taken, of very excellent quality. I have 

 been informed (whether it is true or not I do not know) that Capt. 

 Chamberlain, the father of the gentleman who has spoken to you 

 here, brought the material with which his house and that in which 

 Mr. Jefferds now resides was underpinned, from township No. 8, 

 fifteen miles distant, when within twenty rods of his own door was 

 granite of superior quality which might have been used. If the 

 people had understood that our common boulder granite is well 

 adapted to that purpose, he might have saved hauling that heavy 

 material that great distance, over hills and across lakes and rivers. 

 And, by the way, we have at the head of Sebec lake one of the 

 best granite quarries, where granite may be taken out by its natu- 

 ral seams, as long as this building and as wide as you wish, and 

 as true as the mason's tools could make it. I only allude to this 

 to illustrate the statement I have made that we are apt to seek for 

 treasures at a distance when perhaps they lie at our own door. 



I have produced, from soils which were called by the two pre- 

 ceding owners entirely worthless, eighty bushels of shelled corn 

 to the acre, within two years. I have produced fifty-six bushels of 

 barley to the acre on two and a quarter acres within one year. I 

 have produced upon an acre and a quarter 422 bushels of potatoes. 

 There was not a great deal of mystery about it to me. I did not 

 buy a large quantity of commercial fertilizers, I will say to my 

 brother Robinson that I do not believe that these students have 

 got to dig into the bowels of the earth as far as the English miners 

 have penetrated, in order to find the material to fertilize our fields. 

 I do not believe that any striking discovery must be made in order 

 that we may have sufiicient plant-food. You may think that I am 



