A.DDEESS. 25 



him as, in some sort, its creator. Such an investment gives 

 him^ in addition to its large per cent, interest, a sure and per- 

 manent source of satisfaction. 



We have seen what progress has been made in .practical 

 agriculture, and the effect which this progress has ha^ on the 

 aspect of the State. It would not be fair to ascribe all this 

 improvement to mere physical strength and energy. Within 

 the last few years, agricultural knowledge has been systema- 

 tized, so as to be made available in its application, and here- 

 in, as we have seen, consists, in part, our superiority in agri- 

 culture over the ancients. 



Science has unlocked the subsoil, discovered its absorbing 

 power and exposed it to the air ; it has made known the value 

 of concentrated manures and enabled us to tell the true from 

 the false ; it has laid open to us the nature and structure of 

 plants, disclosed in them a system for the assimilation of food, 

 analogous to the organization of the animal and equally won- 

 derful. At the same time, it has told us just what food the 

 plant requires, and Vv'hat part of this food is taken from the 

 air and what from the soil. Our implements of husbandry, 

 also, and our breeds of cattle have not been neglected by it. 

 Thus science, aided by the practical knowledge derived from 

 experience, has vastly accelerated the progress of agriculture. 

 I do not refer to mere theory and its deductions, I speak 

 only of the application of mind to practice, and the investiga- 

 tions of men, who, to early practical knowledge of the details 

 of farming, unite a sound knowledge of the true science of 

 agriculture ; who, not pretending to revolutionize farming or 

 to make it a pastime, are modestly investigating the compo- 

 sition of soils and plants, of animals and manures, and who 

 study to make their investigations of practical value. 



But notwithstanding the advance which has already been 

 made, much — very much — yet remains to be done. The 

 farmers and those immediately dependent upon them, consti- 

 tute a very large proportion of the ])opulation of the State. 

 When they are prosperous all other classes must share their 

 prosperity. Thus the farming interest has a right to call upon 



4 



