No. 4.] EVOLUTION OF AGRICULTURE. 239 



nating them wherever he went, and handing them down to 

 us as evidence of his wisdom. We sometimes express 

 wonder because agriculture has been so devious and irregular 

 in its course ; we must bear in mind that it has followed the 

 fortunes of nations, rising in their prosperity and declining 

 in their decay. Hindered often by the devastations of war 

 and the disorganization of communities, it has risen phoenix- 

 like from the ashes of its funeral pyre, to begin over again 

 its work of necessity. 



Agriculture was held in the highest estimation by the 

 early peoples, among whom a divine patron was always 

 allotted to preside over its affairs, whose favor was constantly 

 appealed to by oflerings and oblations. 



Agriculture is supposed to have had its early home in the 

 valley of the Euphrates, where it was fostered with the 

 greatest care ; the great river was made tributary to its needs, 

 being conducted into a system of canals for the purpose 

 of irrigating the adjacent plains, which became very gardens 

 of luxuriance, where wheat yielded a hundredfold, and other 

 products w^ere cultivated in abundance for maintaining the 

 great city of Babylon. Thus early did mankind begin to 

 utilize the resources of nature for the benefit of farminsr. 



Egypt was the next early home of agriculture, where 

 father Nile took kindly care of his devoted valley, annually 

 enriching the fields with his overflowing flood. There the 

 early kings were patrons of husbandry, and provided spacious 

 reservoirs to conserve the river's overflow for future use in 

 needed irrigation. In process of time this country became 

 the granary of Rome in her imperial days, and now, after 

 thousands of years, is as productive as when Abraham went 

 there to succor his family because of famine in his own land. 



The early kings of Assyria and Persia took a paternal in- 

 terest in agriculture, not only because it contributed to their 

 own income, but because its prosperity added to the happi- 

 ness and contentment of their subjects. To this end the 

 governors of the provinces were rewarded or punished ac- 

 cording as their provinces were successful or neglectful in 

 their agricultural management. 



In China, that land of unicjue customs, agriculture has 

 always been held in high repute from the most ancient period. 



