382 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



been bestowed, appear like dark patches, or like clouds in 

 the terrestrial atmosphere, floating from the sun's equator 

 towards its poles. These spots are of vast extent. During 

 the past summer one was examined at my farm, with a Tolles 

 five-inch objective, which was more than one hundred thou- 

 sand miles in diameter. If our earth had suddenly fallen 

 into the sun, striking upon this dark spot, it would have 

 passed through the cloud without causing any special dis- 

 turbance, or certainly not enough to have been noticed by 

 astronomers at the distance of our planet from the sun. We 

 must not suppose that these spots are destitute of light, for 

 the brightest artificial illumination we can produce is but 

 darkness in comparison with these sun-clouds. When 

 floating in the solar atmosphere they seem dim, by contrast 

 with the brighter eff'ulgence which emanates from the lumin- 

 OU8 ocean outside of them. 



The sunshine which falls upon our farms is seen to be an 

 influence of exceeding complexity and of wonderful capa- 

 bilities. Its power is not alone due to the heat which accom- 

 panies the solar beam, but the light is potent in its influence 

 upon soils and plants. 



From what has been presented in this brief and imperfect 

 study of the solar beam, we are compelled to look upon the 

 vegfetation of our farms as a stock of deoxidized carbon 

 and hydrogen prepared by the sun for the sustenance of ani- 

 mals, and for the use of man as a source of warmth and 

 mechanical and chemical power. However we may regard 

 the cereals, grasses and roots, which we so assiduously culti- 

 vate, they are but little masses of stored-up force, wholly 

 due to the influence of summer sunshine, and all the skill 

 which is called into exercise in their production, results only 

 in removing obstacles, and brings within the influence of 

 solar light and heat agents which aid them in their work. 



We attach great importance to what are known as fertiliz- 

 ing substances, and we are apt to think we are dependent 

 upon them for success upon our farms. They are at best 

 only indirect aids ; they are molecules of inert matter which, 

 when brought under the influence of sunlight, made subser- 

 vient to its chemical power, are forced to assume higher 



