WATER AS AN AGRICULTURAL AGENT. 359 



nose at any offer a married man could make her, to say the least. 

 It seems to me we shall be driven to one of three things, Mormon- 

 ism, no dairying, or associated dairying. The first we won't have, 

 the second we cannot afford to have, the third I believe we can 

 have if we will. Shall the experiment be tried in Maine, which is 

 no longer an experiment in other States ? 



Farmers of Piscataquis County ! suffer a word of exhortation in 

 this matter. The subject has been ably presented, the reasons are 

 cogent, you have one with you familiar with its workings, and 

 ready to advise and to stir up the minds of all by way of remem- 

 brance. You have the fall and winter before you in which to pre- 

 pare with deliberation for commencing active operations in the 

 spring. Associated dairying has been a success wherever it has 

 been tried. It is bound to be a success hei-e whenever it is tried, 

 for you have all the conditions requisite for success, and, therefore, 

 the sooner you begin in earnest the better. 



Adjourned to Thursday. • 



THIRD DAY. 



Thursday, September 1. 



Part of Thursday was occupied as a field day, embracing an ex- 

 cursion to Sebec Lake, from whence some climbed granite moun- 

 tains, while some others examined the newly opened slate quarries, 

 and various other objects of interest. The return included calls at 

 farms, with observations of the soils, methods of husbandry, etc. 



On assembling at the hall, the following lecture was delivered 

 by Hon. Samuel Wasson, on 



Water as an Agricultural Agent. 



To be successful learners we must, divested of prejudice, be 

 true and careful observers. The study of internal plant, or animal 

 life, is especially one of observation, and in none of its vai'ious 

 branches is this more true than in the topic now in hand — water — 

 the action of which, as a farm help, it. is proposed to discuss in its 

 two-fold function — as an agent of agriculture, and as an agent of 

 power. Wherever the deep-searching microscope is not an imple- 

 ment of husbandry, no conclusion is more common than that the 

 nutritive value of a plant can be determined by its measure of 

 water. For example, by such the turnip is regarded as " nothing 

 hut water." 



That we may start out fairly and not be misled in our summing 



