Annual Beport—convention. 
35 
tion is an important one, and demands investigation; but one of 
even greater moment among farmers to-day is, how to marshal the 
forces of nature to their service, and properly economize the myriad 
agencies of production that lie wasting about us. Make men in¬ 
telligent, and they soon find shorter and easier ways of reaching a 
given end. We can never expect to eliminate physical labor. 
The necessity for its use is an inexorable law of our being. But 
we may rely too much upon it. Make laboi intelligent and you 
increase its value by as much as mind is superior to matter. We 
yield to the superiority of intellect, but not to brute force. The spirit 
of improvement is abroad in the land. The electric spirit of the 
age is beginning to take hold of the plodding farmer. 
Agriculture will henceforth demand intelligence, close observa¬ 
tion, good sense,—in short, science. He who would succeed 
must have in him all the elements of an earnest man, be of no 
slow blood or indurated brain. I would have the farmer know 
how to produce a perfect crop, and a perfect animal, and then how 
to reap the largest net returns for his labor. This is briefly said, 
but what a world of particulars it involves ! What a variety and 
vast amount of knowledge it implies. A knowledge of soils and 
their varied adaptations—of manures and of their most judicious 
application—of the best methods of preparing the soil, planting 
the seed, and of cultivating, harvesting and curing the crop—of 
the laws of climate and climatic relations—of the physiological 
principles of breeding and of feeding—of the laws of political 
economy, especially so far as they apply to the question of demand 
and supply. I would have him capable of protecting his own in¬ 
terests, whether it be done through the press, in halls of legisla¬ 
tion, or by such judicious and effective combination with his fel¬ 
low farmers, as would save him from falling between the upper 
and the nether millstones of unscrupulous middle-men and soulless 
corporations. Further than this, I would have him fully compe¬ 
tent to meet all the yaried duties of citizenship. To these ends, I 
invoke the associated, systematic and persistent effort of all who 
would elevate our noble calling, promote the best good of society, 
and raise the standard of our common humanity. Then we shall 
see agriculture recognized as one of the learned professions—more 
