254 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ill the instruments adapted to the tillage, harvesting and sub- 

 sequent handling of the immense grain crops of the country, 

 and particularly on the great plains of the West. 



The two all-important elements which have been combined 

 to improve, elevate and sustain our agriculture, enabling us 

 from a hard and reluctant soil to draw not only our own sus- 

 tenance, but such a surplus as has made us strong and pros- 

 perous, are, agricultural chemistry and agricultural imple- 

 ments and machinery. The chemistry of agriculture has 

 taught us, first, the importance of draining and subsoiling, 

 loosening and aerating the hidden depths of the soil, that 

 plants may there find prosier moisture and sustenance ; it has 

 taught us somewhat the mysteries of plant-life, and how 

 plant organisms are developed to full maturity ; it has taught 

 us that plants do not obtain all their elements of growth 

 from the mingled rock-dust and humus which constitute soil, 

 but, wonderful as it may seem, they draw from the atmosphere 

 almost alone solid forms of phmt organisms ; it has taught 

 us respecting the offices of the soil, the rain, the air, heat 

 and moisture, in accomplishing the development of plant- 

 life ; it also teaches us that in supplying the food necessary for 

 vegetable growths, different plants require different nutriment. 



It has clearly and minutely explained to us the nature of 

 fertilizers, and how they become plant food, and wherein 

 consists the value of our farm-yard manure, and how it may 

 be supplemented in another form by chemical elements 

 which, when applied, nature assimilates to the want of the 

 plant. It has taught not only how to use these special ferti- 

 lizers, but also to distinguish between those which are genu- 

 ine and valuable, and those which are fraudulent and worth- 

 less. In a word, agricultural chemistry has done more than 

 any one thing else during this century to elevate the hard- 

 working but intelligent farmer from a mere imitator, in his 

 cultivation, of those who went before him, to be a reasoning, 

 thoughtful manager of such elements as are under his control. 



And these teachings have not been confined to the labora- 

 tory, nor reserved only for the learned and wealthy ; as 

 they have by slow degrees been brought to the general com- 

 prehension of the farmers, those principles and doctrines 

 which but a few generations since were utterly unknown, 



