lines of work in their several localities and enables them to [)lan and distribute 

 original work in the wisest manner. 5. It fosters a spirit of home effort which 

 makes the student of science everywhere practically familiar with home surround- 

 ings and alive to the possibilities of home fields and forests. 6. It classifies and 

 arranges in a systematic way the whole plant ami animal life of the State, making 

 accessible at small expense to everybody the most important information other- 

 wise scattered through an expensive library. 



Without going into details, it is only necessary to call attention to the fact 

 that everywhere the Academy is a powerful auxiliary in developing the mineral, 

 vegetable and animal resources of the State. 



We may consider the industrial activity of the Academy under three heads : 

 Its efforts in behalf of agriculture, of mines and minerals, of manufactures. It 

 aids agriculture by studying and eradicating injurious weeds ; by investigating 

 insect life and showing what insects are beneficial, which injurious, and devising 

 means for fostering the former and exterminating the latter; by studying para- 

 sitic fungi, their habits, effects, control; by the investigation and adaptation of 

 soils; by studying birds and animals in their relation to agriculture. 



It aids mines and mineral industries — by the study of coal, gas, oil, clays, 

 sands, road materials, gravels, building stones, etc.; by application of physics, 

 chemistry and mechanics to mine work ; by the application of scientific knowledge 

 of existing conditions, to the end that money should not be wasted in wild-cat- 

 ting and other useless operations. 



It aids manufacturing industries — by investigating the i)hysical and chemical 

 properties of wood and iron, by perfecting accurate and economical methods of 

 manufacture and testing; by stimulating and laying the foundations for the devel- 

 opment of inventions which shall convert a given amount of power into the maxi- 

 mum amount of useful product; by investigating and devising economical methods 

 of developing and distributing power; by preventing the expenditure of money 

 upon unscientific and useless inventions. 



We may group the general economical services of the Academy under three 

 heads: 



1. It strives to increase the possibilities of existing properties — by improving 

 the soils; by the study and culture of fish; by developing new soil products, such 

 as the sugar beet, or by investigating the conditions under which they flourish; by 

 utilizing neglected food materials, such as mushrooms, etc.; by discovering prac- 

 tical and beneficial uses for waste products; by studying the uses of woods, clays, 

 etc. in the arts and manufactures; by studying the medicinal properties of 



