No. 4.] BOARDS OF AGRICULTURE. 45 



tion and the best educators in relation to teaching science 

 in the common schools? 



Mr. W. A. Kilbourn (of South Lancaster). I think 

 that the advice given by some one that we are to " open 

 our eyes " is perhaps the best. We do not do it sufficiently, 

 in any sense of the word. In reference to our schools, 

 they are taxed pretty heavily, both in the time and the 

 immense number of subjects that they are expected to 

 teach ; but I believe most fully that our education goes on 

 after the time of school days, and the important thing is to 

 keep our eyes open, to make our observations and to take 

 advantage of them. A single illustration of this may not be 

 out of place. In a recent visit to the exposition at Atlanta 

 I went into a building which was called the j)lant system. 

 It was filled with plants, and appeared to be an exhibit 

 of agricultural and horticultural products, and the name 

 seemed very appropriate. But on further observation it 

 proved to be the plant system of railroads, which had 

 adopted this manner of exhibiting the products which were 

 raised over the country where their system of railway 

 extended ; and farther along was a railroad track with cars 

 and engine upon it, on a small scale, which I supposed was 

 some narrow-gauge thing, but on examination it proved to 

 be a train of half size, and upon which was loaded various 

 products, and on these products was indicated the number 

 of tons and carloads of these different articles that their 

 system had carried by freight during the past year. That 

 began to open my eyes a great deal more, Looking still 

 farther, I passed along by a nice cocoanut tree. The 

 gentleman who seemed to be in charge of the exhibit was 

 explaining the matter to me, and finally called my attention 

 to the cocoanuts growing. He showed me the three places 

 in the nut which I used to think were made to get out the 

 milk. But he explained to mo that when the cocoanut was 

 planted the sprouts made their way through these soft open- 

 ings, and the nourishment they drew from the milk enabled 

 the bud inside to press open the hard shell. It explained 

 those three simple openings, and they are for a very 

 wonderful purpose. So I think in the apple, when we hold 



