96 TALKS ABOUT THE SOIL. 



CHAPTER VII. 



MANUS A HAND. 



xix. AN OLD FABLE. Ever since men gave up 

 living in caves and trees, and hunting wild animals for 

 food, they have tried to win more food by planting 

 seeds and tilling the ground. The ancients, anxious 

 to explain every thing, used to say that certain fanciful 

 creatures they called gods and goddesses came down 

 out of some imaginary place in the clouds, and politely 

 informed certain men just what to do to make grain, 

 fruits, and other crops grow. Of course it was very 

 kind in the gods ; and the men and women who were 

 foolish enough to believe it all very properly built 

 temples, and wrote poetry, and did many other amiable 

 things, to show their gratitude. The temples and the 

 statues and poetry are very fine, and yet we know now 

 that nothing of the kind ever took place. Not a soli- 

 tary idea in regard to the plants or the soil, or the sun 

 or rain or frost, was ever sent down from any imagi- 

 nary Olympus in the clouds. All that men know of 

 the soil, the weather, the plants, or of the universe, 

 they learned from observation and experiment. Some 

 savage creature, half starved in the forests, saw the 

 fruit of a plant, and ate it, and threw away the seeds 



