[SHUTT] PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS . 5 
considered as a kind of conservatism to the methods of the past and 
almost an antagonism to change and which has largely arisen in a most 
natural way from the fact that the art or practice of farming has been 
handed down from father to son; to these and, perhaps, other causes 
may be attributed the fact that agriculture unaided by science made 
but little progress for centuries. 
With the application of science to agriculture another day dawned. 
So recent is this day that the pioneers—first chemists, next biologists, 
finally physicists—have but passed from their labours in our own times. 
This brings home to us how very new is this field of research; compared 
with the application of science to metallurgy, for instance, it is a 
matter of yesterday. Nevertheless, the teachings of this new science 
have already exerted a beneficial influence. Throughout the civilized 
world the response has been rapid and prompt and the practice of farm- 
ing has so improved in many of its phases—indeed we may say almost 
revolutionized—that it is scarcely recognizable as that of our fathers. 
This is most encouraging, not only to those engaged on the problems 
of agriculture, but to the state at large, for it means greater economy 
in work, a better conservation of our resources and the placing of 
agriculture upon a more intelligent and profitable basis. It means, 
above all, the raising of the whole status of farming, so that in the 
near future it will stand side by side with professions and callings that 
have hitherto been considered its superior. It is due to the teachings 
of science that our soils are more productive, that our yields are 
heavier, that our crops are more prolific and more nutritive, that our 
cows give more and richer milk, that our hens lay more eggs than half 
a century ago. The point I wish to emphasize is that the marked 
improvement in farming as an industry in recent years is due very 
largely to the abandonment of haphazard, rule-of-thumb methods 
and the adoption of methods based on the results of carefully, skill- 
fully conducted investigation by chemists, botanists, physiologists, 
physicists, entomologists and other scientists. Rational, profitable 
farming to-day has scientific truths for its foundation. 
It is not my purpose in this address to attempt any chronological 
account of the history of what may be termed agricultural science. 
Interesting and fascinating as this history is, the story is too long. 
Nor shall I burden this address with any detailed account of Canada’s 
contribution to this science. Three years ago, in an address before the 
Royal Canadian Institute of Toronto, I outlined the various investi- 
gations that had been undertaken by the Dominion Experimental Farm 
system—Canada’s chief agricultural research institution—during the 
twenty-five years of its existence, and endeavoured by a number of 
examples to show the practical results that might legitimately be 
