KEY TO NATURE'S STOREHOUSE. 99 



essential for our well-being and progress, and it is unreasonable 

 and wicked to doubt regarding the future. The other is, that 

 science must be sustained and fostered, for it holds the key 

 which is alone capable of unlocking nature's storehouses, and 

 bringing; forth from the dark recesses of earth those rich 

 materials which have been provided for our sustentation and 

 happiness. 



The Chairman. I apprehend that we are all well satisfied 

 with this lecture. It has given us just the information we want 

 at this crisis. A great many of our farming friends are com- 

 plaining of the lowness of the price of certain products, and 

 that the prospect for the farmer is very discouraging. And 

 when we add to the low price of our products, the high cost of 

 labor, and the amount of taxes we have to pay, there is nat- 

 urally some discouragement, and therefore it is a source of 

 great satisfaction when we find that we can get information 

 from such a source as we have obtained it to-day, which will 

 enable us to cultivate our farms at a cheaper rate, and thus 

 secure an increased profit. 



We all know that within a few years, there has been a great 

 advancement in this matter of scientific agriculture. In old 

 classic times, the people knew nothing about scientific methods 

 of cultivation, and there were various devices practised to 

 insure a good crop. For instance : it was considered that the 

 best time to plant was on the full of the moon ; and it was con- 

 sidered that a very certain way, to propagate vegetables was by 

 planting asses' heads in the middle of the garden. Unfortu- 

 nately, all the asses' heads were not buried in that way, and a 

 great many have been braying ever since against scientific 

 agriculture. But we have seen that, through the means of 

 agricultural colleges, and through the means of gentlemen like 

 the lecturer before us, who have taken up scientific agriculture 

 as a pursuit, great benefit has been derived by our farming com- 

 munity. I think it will strike you now, as it has heretofore 

 struck us, when we have had lectures of a similar character, 

 that there is no more certain way to advance agricultural pur- 

 suits than for each man to try the experiments which have been 

 mentioned, especially in relation to manures. 



In the region where I live, we find it impossible to get along 

 without a certain amount of artificial manures. We cannot 



