68 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



considerably raised by the more extensive and regular growth of 

 one of the legumes. 



You must not imagine from what I have said in this address 

 that there are any grounds for considering our cultivated soils and 

 their productiveness as seriously impaired ; such is not the case, 

 save in a few localities in restricted areas. I do, however, say 

 that in many parts of Canada we have, either through ignorance 

 or carelessness, or both, practised a very foolish and irrational 

 system of farming, one in which much has been taken out of the 

 soil and little or nothing returned, a system which has necessarily 

 resulted in diminished yields — the first and most serious step 

 towards unprofitable farming. Since it is almost impossible to 

 materially lower within a few years what I have termed the 

 " total " stores of mineral plant food in the soil, it is evident that 

 our one-sided system of farming has exhausted the land of those 

 very small, but nevertheless most valuable, supplies of soluble 

 available con^tituents which go to nourish crops. It is to restore 

 these economically, to add humus and nitrogen, that this method 

 of manuring by the clover is strongly advocated. I trust 

 sufficient evidence has been brought forward to show that theory 

 and practice alike justify us in recommending this system as one 

 of the most effective, and certainly the cheapest for soil restora- 

 tion. 



We may well consider our soils as a natural resource of great 

 and permanent value They are a resource which should increase 

 rather than deteriorate in value as time goes on, and I have no 

 doubt that such will be the case. Of the capabilities and possi- 

 bilities of agriculture in Canada we cannot as yet form any 

 adequate conception, for little more than one-tenth of our agricul- 

 tural lands is as yet tilled. Thousands upon thousands of acres 

 of fertile soil yet await the husbandman to yield their quota 

 of wealth. We may be said to be only beginning farming, but 

 nevertheless we have sufficient evidence to show that Canada is 

 pre-eminently a food-producing country. It is all important, 

 therefore, that no pains should be spared in the investigation of 

 • agricultural problems and in the dissemination of information 

 arising therefrom. Every year marks an advance, and the most 

 encouraging sign of all is that our agricultural work is being more 



