XX BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



edge must come to our aid. We talk of nature studies, and 

 this is well. Electricity is but a study of nature's forces, 

 and we are yet in the primary class in its wonderful uses. 

 Chemistry has done much for us, and yet science's labora- 

 tory is so clumsy when compared Avitli the alchemy of 

 nature's crucible. In our chemistry there are mistakes, 

 there are un-discovered potencies ; in nature there has been 

 no change, only greater develo})nient and grander results. 

 How wonderful the choice — yes, let us call it the intelli- 

 gence — hidden in the ground. A¥hat teaches the tree to 

 select the soil food that shall produce the leaf, the blossom 

 and the fruit in their season ? Take a bit of earth in your 

 hand, pulverize it, sterilize it if you please, then plant in it 

 tlu'ee little germs of life, and from that soil will come forth 

 the grain for food, the flowei; with its fragrance, and the 

 })lant with poison in its touch or taste. Who taught these 

 diiierent rootlets to select, collect and diffuse in plant 

 growth such difterent elements ? There is yet much before 

 us to be solved ere Ave give up nature study or solve the 

 chemistry of plant growth. 



Flower in the crannied wall, 

 I pluck you out of the crannies ; — 

 Hold you here, root and all, in my hand, 

 Little flower — Init if I could understand 

 What you are, root and all, and all in all, 

 I should know what God and man is. 



The progress made in agriculture and horticulture is not 

 sullicicntly well known. We do not fully appreciate what 

 is being done by the United States government, supple- 

 mented by our experiment stations and adapted to our con- 

 ditions. The farmers of the United States, the farmers of 

 our State, do not realize the great and in some respects 

 wonderful work that is beinff done for them and tlirouo-h 

 them to the individual, the State, the nation and the world 

 by these investigations, experiments and successes. We 

 used to believe we must work in accord with the climate, 

 and it was well. It Avas a part of the success of the past ; 

 but to-day the gardeners make the climate, change the char- 

 acter of the product,- acclimatize the plants, change the 



