22 



and patiently waits for the inscrutable machinery of sun 

 and earth and air and Avater to form his product. Over 

 this machinery he has no control whatever, and he can- 

 not tell until harvest how much his product will be, or 

 what it will cost. And if he obtains a superior article, 

 he is not certain that he can reproduce it. Just here 

 arises the uncertainty which surrounds the operations of 

 the farmer. It needs no argument to show that the 

 man wdio desires. to cultivate the land intelligently, 

 needs all the aid which science can furnish ; and, indeed, 

 science stops far short of his needs. He cannot suc- 

 ceed unless his plans harmonize with the laws of light, 

 heat, groAvth and moisture, although he may be ignorant 

 that such laAvs exist. 



And here I Avould not be understood to advocate 

 farming by the book. Undoubtedly the man of science, 

 who knoAvs nothing of practical husbandry, Avill, as a 

 ftirmer, turn out to be a splendid failure, and simply be- 

 cause his science does not go far enough. Science is- 

 not yet sufficiently developed to enable him to construct 

 correct theories of agriculture. We knoAv from repeat- 

 ed observations that certain results usually folloAV certain 

 processes, but Ave cannot tell the " Avhy or Avherefore." 

 We knoAA^, for instance, that a small (juantity of gypsum 

 spread upon certain lands produces a Avonderful effect, 

 Avhile a like application to other lands has not the slight- 

 est influence ; and yet I believe no one has 3^et explain- 

 ed satisfactorily the mode in Avhich this fertilizer acts. 

 . Perhaps no men have rendered greater aid to agricul- 

 ture than Boussingault and Liel)eg, scholars of high 

 scientific attainments, but Avho applied their knoAvledge 

 to the practical culture of the land, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the hiAvs Avhich underlie the hidden proc- 



