10 



ready to contribiite of her abundance in this department, as she has 

 in every other department of science and practical art. 



When I say that chemistry and the laws of animal and vegetable 

 life are the means of utihzing labor, I do not introduce subjects 

 beyond the power of every farmer to grapple with successfully. It 

 is not necessaiy that he should become a Liebig in chemistry, nor 

 an Agassiz in natural history. Such men are pioneers, following 

 Natui-e into her dark chambers, but opening the shutters so that 

 henceforth aU with common eyes may see what those chambers con- 

 tain. Accurate scientific knowledge is an invaluable basis for all 

 practical operations. 



But agriculture must be mainly built up by accurate observation. 

 You may do something to correct your soils chemically by the di- 

 rect apphcation of materials. But it is mainly the chemical changes 

 produced in the soil itself, that you must rely upon. You must 

 know what draining, what frequent plowing, what change of crops, 

 what aU jjossible conditiona will do to prepare the soil for special 

 crops or to secure its general fertility. This knowledge will come 

 from observation and experiment. Simple change of method may 

 so far utilize labor that eight hours may be as good as ten. If 

 turning the furrow in autumn destroys the insect grubs, so that the 

 succeeding crop is doubled, fortunate is the man who knows enough 

 to secure the double harvest, while his neighbor hunts "cut worms" 

 in summer, and lacks bread in autiunu. He may not know what 

 species of miUer the ravagers will produce, he may not even know- 

 that they ever do take wings and fly away, but if he knows enough 

 to so cultivate his land that his crops are unmolested by them, he 

 need not trouble himself respecting the length of their antennee, 

 the color of their wings, or the name of the author who first 

 described them. 



In the same soil one kind of seed wiU give moi-e bushels than 

 another for the same labor. The seed and earth, rightly related, 

 will save labor, and give to man more time for rest and enjoyment. 

 The fruitful apple, the proHfic grains, the choice flocks and herds, 

 all give richer retui-ns for the time and strength expended upon 

 them. In the very law^of plant and animal growth are found the 

 means of constantly increased utilization of the farmer's labor. 

 The plants and animals most useful to man have a wonderfully plas- 

 tic constitution ; that is, they appear under difierent forms known 

 as varieties. So that from nearly all our cultivated plants and do- 

 mesticated animals there is the possibility of securing choicer kinds 



