MY FARM OF EDGEWOOD 



posing at its will, his power shrinks into still 

 smaller dimensions. Faithful and long-con- 

 tinued observation of the mysterious processes 

 of nature, will alone justify a theory of plant 

 nutrition. A large part of this observation is 

 supplied by the history of farm-experiences, 

 and another part is supplied by the earnest 

 investigations of special scientific inquirers. 

 Where the two tally and sustain each other,— 

 one may be sure of standing upon safe ground. 

 But where they are antagonistic, one has need 

 to weigh conflicting evidence well, not pre- 

 suming hastily that either practical experience, 

 or a special science has, as yet, a monopoly of 

 all the truths which lie at the base of the 

 "mystery of husbandry." For these reasons 

 it is, that I say,— let no man rashly hope to 

 revolutionize farming, upon the strength of 

 clean copies of Liebig and Boussingault. 



A GYPSEOUS ILLUSTRATION 



The farming community has a great respect 

 for men of science ; it never thinks of distrust- 

 ing any of their dicta, so long as they are con- 

 veyed in scientific and only half-intelligible 

 language. The working farmer is altogether 



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