^S' rOWA ACADKMV OF SCfENCES.- 



iviih tln'ir spccia! ;i)>titu(l('s for airT'iciiIturo. In these lie the- 

 S^reat wealth of our State, richer than tike silver sprinkled 

 kills of the llockij's or the 2-olden threaded (juartz of C'lilifor- 

 rtin : nion^ p)-eci(>us than thediiuoond strewed fi.^lds of Africa. 

 The prairie soil of this fair State is rich in all that l>rin.2:s 

 comfort and enjoynKMit to au bonest, etmiest [>eopU? in quest 

 of the Rteans for self-inipr*>venient, Ureh because it furnishes 

 a iiever-failino: mine of wealth. Its treasures are not e.v- 

 liausted witli a sinirle turning' f>f the earth, but vvill remain a 

 perpetual source of revenue to i\ny ]M-o])le who will intelli- 

 gently conserve and protect it. 



It may be nested thtit I have not rcfen-ed to the s'/ience o^ 

 political economy, psychology, etc., but this is not becau.se 1 

 ttudeirate in any deijree their importance in human progress- 

 and attainmient. From their nature they are both local and 

 nniversaU but it \vi>ukl proU>n«jf fbisaddres-^ too ranch to irive 

 them any udccjuate eonsi(i(>ration. 



Problems of .so -ial life are Ijeinir studied on every hand » 

 iind it may perhaps not be statinir it too strouofly to say that 

 their results can b;* of irnrat value only as th"y proceed upon 

 the scientific method. Tiie relations of ijtrlividuals, com- 

 ttiunitles, States and ndions are not to !>;' adjusted by the 

 bombast of the politician or th.' mere oratory of the states- 

 man. A scicntili;' analysis of the conditions, eomplete as they 

 may be, and accurate ap})reciation of cause and etlVct, are 

 necessary in the study of these as well as biological or areo- 

 losrical problems, and the best statesman is he whose talent 

 'And traininjr tenable him to follow the method of the scientist. 



In the fouiidius' of this Society whicdi meets now on the 

 first anniversary, we have rcco^^nized the exi.^tence of prob- 

 lems in our State demandiuijf scientific investiijation. We 

 have reeoflfnized, to(», the well known principle of advantage 

 in organized effort, the added stimulus and benefit accruing 

 to associated work. We find the field broad aiid the work in 



