THE FIRST FARMER 5 



4. Natural Principles as Tools. Now the loss of water 

 from the surface of the corn field, the sprouting of the 

 seed, and the action of lime, like all the principles or 

 forces of nature, act continuously and are uniform under 

 the same conditions. Man may interfere with them and 

 prevent their operation here and there by changing the 

 conditions; but he cannot destroy the principles them- 

 selves. We can regulate the loss of field water, to a great 



A QUIET CORNER OF THE FARM. 



extent, by cultivation and by other means ; we can hasten 

 the growth of seeds, by giving careful attention to their 

 needs ; and we can modify the action of lime in a field, 

 by growing certain crops : but the principles themselves 

 remain unchanged. Thus we may think of these forces as 

 invisible tools with which the farmer must learn to work. 

 He must learn to regulate the force of evaporation much 

 as he learns to control a plow. 



5. The first farmer was the first man who became con- 

 scious of the fact that there were plant forms which 



