272 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Chemistry has done something towards showing us the neces- 

 sities of plants, and what they require as food ; still there is one 

 element in the production of good crops which the most eminent 

 chemists have not been able to detect by the most careful 

 analyses, either in soil or crop, and one which we cannot expect 

 them to find, although it is of the utmost importance to succes- 

 ful farming. I mean a reasonable amount of brains that have 

 been trained not only theoretically, but practically, by agricul- 

 tural observation, experience and practice, sufficiently well to be 

 able to adapt the crops to the soil, and furnish the proper food 

 for the same. For this we must not rely on chemistry, but on 

 our schools and colleges, and more particularly that thorough 

 observation, together with experiments and practical growing of 

 crops on all soils, which makes an intelligent and observing 

 farmer master of his business. 



To an inquiring person the small word ' why ' often suggests 

 itself, and is a very expressive one. We raise a fine crop of 

 wheat, and not having been successful heretofore with that crop, 

 if we have not the brains spoken of, we at once attribute it to 

 luck ; but if we have, we desire to know the reason why. If 

 we could only tell exactly the reason why, of course we could 

 do it again. The next year perhaps we fail in getting a good 

 crop, and why this failure ? Is it not as a general thing from 

 the want of adaptation, or unfitness of the soil, either from the 

 want of the proper fertilizers or some other cause ? This same 

 rule will apply to the success or failure in all crops, and shows 

 the necessity for careful observation and experiments, and that 

 not manual labor alone, but head work is essential to success. 



This whole subject we regard as very important to every 

 person who is cultivating land, for success will materially depend 

 upon the judgment used in this respect. 



The Creator of all things has furnished us with the soil, heat 

 from the sun, moisture from the clouds and dews, and all other 

 proper constituents for producing a crop, leaving us to adapt 

 the crop to the particular soil intended for its cultivation, to 

 prepare the land and apply the proper kind and quantity of 

 manure, to plant the seed and cultivate the land, and to use all 

 the means within our reach in such an intelligent, timely, and 

 proper manner, as to insure success to us as farmers. Shall we 

 avail ourselves of every source of information within our reach, 



