230 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



that when you sift the matter down, it comes to this : the 

 farmer who sees that he gets a good crop by a fertilizer, will 

 believe that it is a good thing, science or no science ; and if 

 he sees that he don't get a good crop, no number of certifi- 

 cates will make him think that fertilizer is a ffood thinsr. I 

 have no doubt that science may aid us greatly in these mat- 

 ters, but I wish the aid was more apparent than I see it. 



With regard to Prof. Stockbridge, I agree with some things 

 that he has said somewhat. I am not a very thorough be- 

 liever in underdraining, not to the extent that I understand 

 some go. I do not believe in stagnant water, or water that is 

 flowing over the surface ; but there should be a sufficient 

 quantity of water in the soil when winter commences to freeze, 

 and to operate in such a way as to tear the roots of the grass 

 some ; for I believe the roots of grass need pruning as much 

 as the limbs of apple-trees. In that way our permanent 

 meadows, as they are called here, are kept in the condition 

 they are, and they are susceptible at all times to manure. I 

 find that if I apply manure to dry lands, it don't seem to do 

 much good, unless it be an exceptionally wet season, when I 

 don't care much about it ; but if I apply that same manure to 

 a piece of land that is moist, I feel pretty sure I am going to 

 get a return that present season. 



Mr. Lewis. A careful, judicious dairyman like Mr. Hol- 

 land or Mr. Ellsworth, can sometimes work in fodder that is 

 not quite so good as the best, but I hope they will not recom- 

 mend it to others, because other men do not take as good 

 care of their stock as these two men do, and I am told that it 

 is a dangerous practice to recommend. I merely make this 

 suggestion that they may think it over, and see what bearings 

 it will have. There is not one dairyman in a hundred who 

 takes so good care of his cattle as Mr. Holland and Mr. Ells- 

 worth, and they can do some things with impunity that other 

 men cannot do who give their cattle less care. 



Now in regard to one or two points that were brought out in 

 the discussion to-day. One was by my friend Moore. I do 

 not believe that a man with such a great heart as I believe 

 him to possess intended any wrong in what he said, and yet it 

 pained me to hear him say what he did. I declare here, 

 Mr. Chairman, that if I was not fixed and hampered by the 



