No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 155 



a lifeless occupation. It were just as well for him, and better for 

 agriculture, if be, too, were lifeless. Tbe ownersbip of land is a 

 privilege not accorded to a majority of buman beings, tbe mass of 

 bumanity working for a fixed wage tbat meets only tbe bare necessi- 

 ties of life. Single-banded tbe wage-earner works at otbers' dictation. 

 Tbe man wbo owns some land, and gives bimself to its tillage, finds 

 bimself engaged in intellectual work, in full partnersbip witb a 

 living soil tbat must be fed even as be mast be fed, and tbat will 

 tben belp bim to secure an income in proportion to bis ability in solv- 

 ing tbe problems tbat arise in aiding tbe soil to do its work. Mental 

 drones may continue to vex and barrass an bonest, well-disposed 

 soil, and reap a meagre barvest wbile branding agriculture as tbe. 

 natural work of tbe dullard, but tbeir number must grow less under 

 tbe competition of tbose wbo see wbat tbe soil would do for tbem if 

 tbey could understand it and give it a cbance to do its best. 



In tbe partnersbip formed by tbe soil and tbe farmer for tbe pro- 

 duction of crops, eacb furnisbes some capital, tbe farmer providing 

 tbe smaller part of tbe material capital, but assuming control be- 

 cause, presumably, be furnisbes some brain power. Tbe control is 

 cbaracterized by inefficiency, even in tbe ease of tbe most studious. 

 ^Vbat does tbe soil furnisli? Many things. I name only a few, 

 1. Eacb acre of agricultural land furnisbes tons of tbe mineral 

 elements essential to plant growtb. Of tbe ten essential soil ele- 

 ments, it provides in nearly every case six or seven in abundance in 

 available form. Of tbe remaining tbree or four, namely, nitrogen, 

 pbosrjboric acid, potash and lime, it provides tons in an unavailable, 

 inert form. Let us fix this fact in mind, and keep it ever before us. 

 All of the elements of plant food in commercial fertilizers and sta- 

 ble manure are in agricultural soils in quantities per acre measured 

 by tbe ton. They are there in insoluble forms. The soil is not 

 helpless when left alone, and its gain by partnership with man de- 

 pends upon tbe degree of man's intelligence. If the man does not 

 understand, the soil can do better shifting for itself. It will then 

 use weed seeds to produce a growth tbat will shade it so tbat favor- 

 able chemical changes within may occur. It will receive gain from 

 acids used by the roots of the weeds. It will have the mulch made 

 of leaves and stalks. It will be put into condition to admit air, and 

 to hold moisture. It will do the work of changing tough plant food 

 into available fertility without aid of man, but must work slowly. 

 Man can interfere and make the condition worse, or make it better, 

 hindering or hastening the process of renewal, according as he has 

 ability or lacks ability. If be continue to rob the soil of the plant 

 growth it provides for its own feeding, the poor, crushed soil be- 

 comes heartless and practically dead. If he help it to seeds of plants 

 superior to its own weeds, and lets these best plants do their full 



