State Convention—What Farming Demands. 371 
information should be introduced into the school-room. One rea¬ 
son why so many boys left the farm for other occupations was be¬ 
cause there was not enough to interest and satisfy the active crav¬ 
ing of their young natures for intellectual food. A different educa¬ 
tion, which should supply this craving by the study of nature, 
would endear many active-minded bovs to the farm. 
In the way of more specific answers, the value of a knowledge of 
the origin, nature, and means of testing and comparing soils, was 
alluded to. Among fertilizers we have peat and marl, a knowledge 
of which will soon become important. Native vegetation furnishes 
many useful indications as to the capabilities of the soil, and a per¬ 
manent record should be made before it is too late, in the form of a 
map of our native vegetation. The usefulness of a knowledge of 
plant-life was illustrated, that being the subject of the farmers 1 la¬ 
bor. Our domestic animals were better understood, there being 
standard treatises on most of these; but still the subject needed 
to be taught in the schools. Our friends and our enemies among 
the fields should be discriminated, and our children taught to rec¬ 
ognize them. The speaker urged, with emphasis, the value of the 
contributions of science in relation to insects, the greatest enemies 
of the farmer. He claimed that Professor Riley had saved more to 
the northwest by information given concerning the grasshoppers, 
than had ever been spent in America in payment of State entom¬ 
ologists. He claimed that thousands of dollars might be saved to 
the farmers of the State, by making use of such information concern¬ 
ing the insects of the State, as could be given. In speaking of cli¬ 
mate and the atmosphere, he referred to the grand achievement of 
Wisconsin scientific enterprise in the United States Storm-Signal 
Service, due largely to Dr. Lapham and General Paine. He be¬ 
lieved it would be extended around the globe, and would ultimate^ 
give farmers timel}’ warning of approaching storms. Geology 
could contribute much of value directly, and much indirectly, by 
promoting mining and manufacturing, which he illustrated by the 
rich soil and magnificent water-power of Outagamie county. He 
concluded by reiterating his general answer, and emphasizing the 
need of more rational instruction in the country schools. 
