462 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



KEPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGIST 



By MR. W. H. STOUT 



Obedient to a summons to appear here at this time to give an ac- 

 count of my stewardship since we met last, I present some thoughts 

 on a topic which may not contain anything of interest or value. 



There is this consolation in the knowledge that it costs each one 

 only about fifteen minutes, or less time than is often consumed wait- 

 ing for a car or for desert at the dinner table. Also some of those 

 present on the State's pay roll receiving one to four cents a minute 

 while here can rest in contentment, and others can rest, digest and 

 assimilate the meals for which the State pays. Differing mentally 

 and physically, we do not see things in the same light or from the 

 same point of view; so if none agree with the sentiment in the follow- 

 ing discussion is only proof that majority may be wrong and the 

 minority right. 



There are no two things exactly alike in nature, in the vegetable 

 or animal creation, the human race being no exception. A very 

 prominent orator, statesman, politician, ])eace propagandist, editor 

 and agriculturist related this story during a political campaign: 

 "A farmer hurrying a load of hay from a field before an approaching 

 storm, had part of the load slip off which was reloaded, another start 

 made and after going a short distance, more dropped off, which was 

 replaced. All went well until in turning to enter the barn nearly 

 half the load upset, while the storm was almost overhead. The 

 farmer's beloved wife came to offer assistance while he was in ill 

 humor, and overheated, tugging at big forkfulls to get it in the barn, 

 the wife anxious to help asked, "Can I do anything to help you?" 

 to wdiich the husband replied, "No, dear, you cannot, go in the house, 

 I am going to express myself." So I am going to express myself in 

 mild language and plain terms on the subject of agricultural geo- 

 logy, and history reviewed, with em]>hasis on rcmeioed, which T tried 

 to confine to fifteen minutes, without exceeding the speed limit. 



Spragging the Wheels 

 At the coal mines, to prevent the mine cars without brakes from 

 running wild, use is made of tough, round clubs, pushed between 

 the felloes to check the speed and stop the cars where wanted. The 

 time is here when there is danger of the agricultural cars overloaded 

 with mushroom agriculturists and theorists on a down grade, to 

 throw some clubs on the track and in the wheels, to avoid the danger 

 of going over a precipice or into the breakers, with the Juggernaut 

 crushing the taxpayers under the wheels. 



AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY AND HISTORY REVIEWED 

 After spending much time and thought during many years reading 

 theories and following the field workers and so-called scientists over 

 much of this and other countries, striving to prove that the soil con- 

 tains such vast stores of plant food elements that many generations 



