632 SELECTIONS FROM ADDRESSES. 



his hat with pamphlets; and even from out his bosom peep 

 papers, covered with calculations and estimates. Thus armed 

 by the bookseller and the apothecary, you push him forth to 

 the hay-field." Ask him when ought hay to be cut, — in the 

 flower or in the seed, — and he answers from " Vol. G, page 

 281." Speak of the depth of ploughing or the quantity of 

 manure to the acre; and you cause him to squat on the wall, 

 till he can consult the tables of contents of a score of treatises, 

 and read out the recorded experience of an hundred theorizers. 



This man of print and pepper-boxes is not entirely the crea- 

 ture of your own creation ; there are originals of this portrait, — 

 men of mere pretensions to scientific acquirements, the more 

 supercilious and presuming in proportion to their shallowness. 

 These are the chaps who have created in the minds of farmers 

 a prejudice against that science, of which they pretend to be 

 teachers. These pretenders, these mere book-farmers build 

 theories, and then try to twist and squeeze facts to accord 

 with them. ********* 



These are the men who have brought ridicule upon science, 

 instead of concentrating it upon themselves. 



Now science is simply knowledge reduced to a system ; and 

 this system which has worked wonders in every other depart- 

 ment of industry, we commend to you. Of water, science 

 has built bridges thousands of miles long, and upon this race- 

 course of nations she has placed and propels steamers and 

 sailing craft, plying with the regularity and despatch of an 

 ordinary ferry boat. The sun has been instructed as a portrait 

 painter. The lightning is harnessed as an express-man. And 

 of late, we learn that the air we breathe has been made to 

 labor in the cylinders of Ericsson with a force superior to 

 l^team. These are the triumphs of science, — of systematic 

 knowledge. 



Justice calls science to her aid. They descend into the tomb. 

 The dead are made to speak, and tell the terrible tale of their 

 violent death. 



With strained eye science searches the heavens, to manifest 

 the wondrous works of God. Twinkling plainly before her 

 upraised glass is a star millions of miles distant. With pa- 

 tient calculation she traces the route traversed by this eye of 

 heaven, back to its far off source ; and tells to her astonished 



