70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



may cease to wonder that Esau sold his birthright for a mess 

 of pottage, which the Scripture assures us was made from 

 these same red lentils, of which I have a package here from a 

 lot imported from Egypt. 



In conclusion, let me observe that to one who is merely 

 an economic student, and neither scientist, farmer, physiolo- 

 gist or chemist, the conditions aifecting all these several 

 departments of human welfare are in a sort of inchoate state. 

 The elements of knowledo;e exist. Enough is known of the 

 comjDosition of soils, of the composition and source of fer- 

 tilizers, and of the nutrition of the plant, the beast and the 

 man, to give assurance that ere long all that we know will 

 be brought into systematic form. From these various con- 

 cepts and discoveries of science rules may be established that 

 may be brought into conmion practice, so that the art which 

 has heretofore been empirical in every department may be 

 made consistent with the rules of science and may be de- 

 veloped in such simple, plain terms as to be brought 

 within the comprehension of every person of ordinary intel- 

 ligence. 



I have brought with me some of our Avhite and brown 

 family bread, and in this jar I have an example of the kind 

 of work of an experimental nature which can be done with a 

 o;lass oven. I reirret that I have no consecutive hours to 

 devote to this matter except on holidays and Sundays. I 

 sometimes consider the Sunday better spent in preparing a 

 sermon upon the potato gospel than in listening to a sermon 

 upon the spiritual gospel. I am justified in this by an 

 aphorism invented by my friend Dr. William Everett for my 

 benefit, corresponding to the old aphorism, "there can be no 

 sound mind except in a sound body." Neither can there be 

 any true spiritual life except in a well-fed body. " JSfon est 

 animus cut non est corpus." There is no soul unless the body 

 eats, — not in this world, whatever may be the conditions 

 in the next world, when we are supplied with wings and may 

 perhaps do without stomachs. Therefore on Sunday I made 

 a combination of white beans, tripe, tomato sauce, bacon, 

 skimmed milk and one onion, seasoned with Hungarian or 

 Paprika pepper and salt, while I devoted the morning hours 

 to this treatise. This is a combination which requires very 



