30 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



fulfilling these conditions, but prudent passengers prefer to 

 base their safety on both. 



The theory and the practice of art are necessary to each 

 other, and must be united in all pursuits of human industry 

 and enterprise. 



Agi-i culture is not an exact science, like mathematics ; its 

 facts and theories, although derived from observation, are 

 subject to so many exceptions and contingencies, by reason 

 of the variety of soil, changeable nature of climate and 

 weather, and the failure of chemical action itself under so 

 many conditions, as to defy absolute demonstration in any 

 case, while the still more uncertain effect of electricity — that 

 mysterious and all-prevading element which enters into every 

 combination of soil or vegetable product, modifying, and at 

 times suspending chemical action, and eluding the most 

 searching investigations of the chemist — renders our best 

 researches in agricultural chemistry uncertain. Still the most 

 successful results are to be had by following the light it 

 affords, and it will be found that success or failure in the 

 long run will be in the ratio of conformity or disregard of its 

 principles and theories. 



Law and medicine do not insure absolute justice and health 

 by the practice of their theories in the community, but with- 

 out them our property and our lives would be subject to 

 quacks and pettifoggers, in whose estimation practice alone is 

 valuable. Agriculture is the great producer of our country. 

 Even the products of our enterprising and thrifty manufact- 

 ures depend mainly for their apparent importance on the value 

 of wool, cotton and other raw agricultural productions which 

 enter into and constitute so large a portion of the value of 

 their products. 



Not less than two thousand four hundred millions of dollars 

 is our annual contribution to the national wealth, constituting 

 the main support of its commerce and manufactures ; and yet 

 we cultivate but one-twelfth of our national territory, now 

 embracing about three million square miles. The contem- 

 plation of the future poAver and influence of agriculture, when 

 our whole territory shall be utilized and its whole productive 

 energy directed to the development of our national industry 

 and enterprise, ought to impress us with becoming zeal for 



