332 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



and to comfort us. And why should a person know mathematics? 

 Without going into particulars it may be said that after the mechani- 

 cal stage has been passed there is a positive pleasure in the solution 

 of a problem. 



Now a» to the Natural Sciences. Few persons have better oppor- 

 tunities to study geology- than farmers have. They owe it to them- 

 selves, to their families, and to the community to study this subject. 

 It opens up a new world to the keen and thoughtful observer. Every 

 rock contains a record of the past. Will you read it? Again, rocks 

 disintegrating and combining with decayed animal and vegetable 

 matter produce soil, which sugge&ts the analysis of the same. Here 

 we are in the chemist's province. He must tell us what elements are 

 in the soil, and what is lacking to produce a good crop. Unfortu- 

 nately chemistry is a subject the great body of our farmers cannot 

 familiarize themselves with, on account of the cost of chemicals and 

 the necessary apparatus; but if they are anxious they may have their 

 soil analyzed, and thus learn to use fertilizers intelligently. It is the 

 consensus of opinion, I think, that farmers have been guessing at this 

 fertilizer problem long enough. 



It must be admitted that botany has a place here also. Geology 

 gives us the ground, and botany must cover it with vegetation. In 

 this as in all other lines of thought, a little careful reading will 

 enable the most ordinary to become interested, and when once in- 

 terested there is no end to the pursuit. On the average farm there 

 are sufficient plants to keep one learning for j'ears. With such a 

 knowledge there is indeed "a pleasure in the pathless wood, a rap- 

 ture on the lonely shore, and society where none intrude." 



But the insect is a foe to vegetation. Every farmer ought to 

 familiarize himself with a good w^ork on entomology. If he w^ere to 

 do this, and then use the information thus obtained, many a crop, 

 and especially fruit might be saved. Hand in hand with this subject 

 goes ornithology. Of what use are birds on the farm? Do they de- 

 stroy your crops? Do not certain ones live almost entirely on ver- 

 min? Are you not taking the life of a friend when you kill an owl, 

 or a hawk? If the truth w^ere known it would be found that they 

 repay you several fold for the occasional change of diet which they 

 obtain from your poultry yard. 



What then is my message to you? In a sense, I have attempted to 

 clear out the undergrowth, in order that these gentlemen from a dis- 

 tance may be the better able to do effective work. I have talked of 

 possibilities. You have it in your power to make these possibilities 

 realities. Know all you can about things in general, and a great 

 deal about your own profession or occupation. See to the applica- 

 tion of knowledge to its rightful use. If you have occasion to apply 



