FARM EXPERIMENTS AT LAKESIDE. 133 



of the chemical and geological sciences is of great 

 advantage to ^a farmer in successfully conducting 

 his labors ; but an intelligent observer can secure a 

 good knowledge of the nature of his soils in ten 

 years, and know but little of any of the exact sci- 

 ences. Without any knowledge of anatomy, of 

 physiology, the farmer obtains by observation a 

 knowledge of the peculiarities of his animals. He 

 learns how to feed his pigs so as to fatten them 

 most rapidly and profitably, how to supply nutri- 

 ment to his cows so as to cause a copious supply of 

 milk, and he learns the temper and habits of his 

 horses and oxen, and accordingly controls them to 

 his advantage. Why should he not learn by ob- 

 servation the nature and capabilities of his fields, 

 and be able to a great extent so to feed thein as to 

 obtain the highest and best crop results from year 

 to year ? Any farmer, from ten or even five years' 

 observation, can ascertain the extent to which his 

 different fields are retentive of moisture. He must 

 learn how well they withstand the drought or the 

 protracted wet of summer, how different crops be- 

 have when the rain-fall is small or copious in the 

 growing months. Physically considered, some 

 farms are not adapted to the raising of corn, and 

 perhaps some other grains. Corn withstands 

 drought better than almost any other cereal, but 

 that fact affords no reason why it can be raised to 



