state Convention—Geological survey. 321 
analyses its results, and refers each, so far as possible, to its cause. 
He then repeats, under new conditions, and notes the new results; 
and so, by repeated, and continued tests, he developes its control- 
ing law, and shows the effect of varying conditions upon the re¬ 
sult. So the farmer of this class ascertains carefully all the con- 
ditions under which he is to labor, the nature of the soil, of the 
climate, of the crop, of the exposure, drainage, and all other cir¬ 
cumstances. This involves all the knowledge possessed by the 
farmer of the first class. But this knowledge is to him a pre¬ 
liminary, not a dependence. All the varying circumstances of 
the season and the culture of the crop are carefully noted, and 
the results, instead of being capriciously referred to some insig¬ 
nificant circumstance, are attributed with studious caution to their 
probable causes. And so he continues from year to year, until 
accumulated results demonstrate the principles that must guide 
him. Intelligent trial is his reliance. That intelligent trial neces¬ 
sitates all the scientific knowledge that he can command, and all 
the scientific culture in observation, invention and reasoning that 
he can summon to his aid. 
This is our ideal farmer. Indeed, this is the method pursued 
to a greater or less extent by most of our really successful 
farmers, though they might be surprised at being termed scien¬ 
tific. Their methods are those of observation, experiment and 
induction, and this is nothing more nor less than the method of 
scientific inquiry. 
The service, which it is the duty of general science to render 
to agriculturists, is then evident; 1st. To supply him with the 
preliminary knowledge he may need. 2d. To assist him in ob¬ 
serving the conditions under which his work is being prosecuted, 
fid. To foretell, so far as possible, the changes that may take place. 
4th. To assist him in judging of his own results, and especially of 
those of others. 
The preliminary knowledge which a farmer needs is not simply 
a knowledge of soils in general and of his own in particular, of 
atmospheric conditions, and of the peculiarities of his crop, but 
he needs also to know the results of previous trials, the experience 
of the past. A successful farmer of New England will not neces- 
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