AS RELATED TO WEALTH. 107 



waste of trees, if men would learn that forests can 

 be planted, and were imbued with that spirit of 

 improvement and care for coming generations 

 which science has ever had a tendency to produce. 



It may be said, with truth, that much of the work 

 already done- has been done by those ignorant of 

 science. These results have been the slow accumu- 

 lation of ages ; we wish now more rapid progress. 

 The times demand it. The same is true of every 

 department of human industry and source of wealth. 

 Discoveries in olden time were accidental. The 

 Alchemists in the dark ages, with their alembics 

 and crucibles and chemicals of mystic names, 

 worked by chance, and by chance, from time to 

 time, made some valuable discoveries. But how 

 different is the work of a modern chemist! A thing 

 is to be done, and he is able at once to bring to bear 

 upon the problem all the principles of that wonder- 

 ful science. Every experiment is performed for a 

 definite purpose, and accidental discovery is the 

 exception and not the rule. So in mechanics a 

 result is to be reached, and the problem is attempt- 

 ed by well-established principles. Those wonderful 



