-1859] WRITINGS OF JOSEPH HENRY. 85 



METEOROLOGY IN ITS CONNECTION WITH AGRICULTURE. 

 PART III. — TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS AND TEMPERATURE. 



(Agricultural Report of Commissioner of Patents, for 1857, pp. 419-506.) 



We intend in this number of our contributions to Meteor- 

 ology as applied to Agriculture, to give a more definite expo- 

 sition of some of the general principles of science especially 

 applicable to this subject than is usually met with in ele- 

 mentary works. And we are lead to this by numerous in- 

 quiries from correspondents in various parts of our country, 

 whose interest in the study of meteorology has been awakened 

 during the last few years. We trust that our essay will be 

 acceptable to the agriculturist, since however remote from his 

 pursuits the theoretical part of the communication may at first 

 sight appear, a proper view of the relation of science and art 

 will enable him to see that the one is dependent on the 

 other, and that each branch of the study of nature is inti- 

 mately connected with every other. 



We take it for granted that the American farmer is cap- 

 able of logical reflection ; that he is not content with the 

 ability merely to perform with facility agricultural opera- 

 tions, and to direct with skill the ordinary routine of his 

 farm ; but that he is also desirous of knowing the rationale 

 or scientific principles of all the processes he employs. We 

 have no sympathy with the cant of the day with reference 

 to " practical men," if by this term is understood those who 

 act without reference to well-established general laws, and 

 are merel}'' guided b}' empirical rules or undigested expe- 

 rience. However rapidl}'- and skilfully such a person ma}'' 

 perform his task, and however useful he may be within the 

 limited sphere of his experience and in the practice of rules 

 given by others, he is incapable of making true progress. 

 His attempts at improvement are generally not only failures, 

 involving a loss of time, of labor, and of materials, but such 

 as could readily have been predicted by anyone having the 

 requisite amount of scientific information. It is the due 

 combination of theoretical knowledge with practical skill 



