VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1887.
NO. 25
Written lor the Indiana Farmer.
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE POR FARMERS.
New  Departure   Demanded   for   the
Farmer.
llractliatillK Address c.l W. S. Ill.lt.'liley al   the State
University, lllc.c.liliilKl'.n. .1 lint' Sill, 1887.
There is but one thing in the Universe,
nnd that is truth. There is but one way
to tin.l the truth, and that is by the study
of nature—her phenomena and her laws.
Since civilization began; since man wns
t'.rst 11 re.1 « ith discontent and found that
tifemeantsomethlngmore than mere existence, he has endeavored In nil ways possible to understand the laws of nature in
order that he might free himself from her
merciless clutch. And so to-day in every
country on the globe investigators are at
work, at the crucible, with the geologist's
hammer, or studying the structure and
habits of the various forms of life about
them. They are searching for facts—
for minor truths, as it were, which in
time to come some great goneralizer, such
as a Newton or a Darwin, will put together into one grand truth and proclaim it to
the world as a sublime law of nature discovered l.y him.
To anyone who has given the matter
sonic thought, there must have come the
sad reflection that there is a large class of
persons who on account of their
surroundings possess the best possible advantages for gathering those facts
concerning the objects of nature, which
are necessary to great inductions; and yet
who, from the lack of a little training,
pass their entire lives in almost utter ignorance that there is such a thing as
nature. In order that one may become a
good observer, it is necessary that he possess a certain knowledge of the elements
of the natural sciences. At the present
time this knowledge remains for the most
part in the possession of specialists—men
who seek for, and discover new facts
daily, and who write the results of their
discoveries in Latin or in technical terms
so that only other specialists after them
can understand tliem. Meanwhile, the
myriads of farmers in the world toil on,
surrounded throughout their lives by the
beauties of nature, yet unmindful of
them, because no one has taught them
how to see or how to hear.
(In out Into any county and ask the
average farmer a few questions concern
ing the objects around him. See if he
knows anything of the constituents of the
soil which he cultivates or how it came to
be where it is. (Jo with him to some old
ledge of limestone which crops out upon
his farm, and which he has passed a dozen
times a week since he was large enough
to walk, and tell him, that about i'O.lKK)
years ago, the billows of the .Mean surged
and rolled above "that very spot, and, by
their movements, millions of minute
shells were deposited, which in the course
of time formed the solid rock, and he will
look upon you as an infidel contradicting
the truths of the Holy Bible. Ask the
average farmer how many species of birds
he has seen on his farm,and he will count
them on his lingers, and answer, perhaps
"25," perhaps, "40." He knows nothing
of that great number oi warblers, grosbeaks, etc., which twice each year sweep
along in   one grand  army   filling his or
chards and   woodlands   with   their joyful
songs and brilliant hues.
According to Prof. Wesott. damage
amounting to >jV500,0<Ml,(HKI is annually done
in the United States by insects alone, yet
not one farmer in a hundred knows the
distinction between a moth and a butterfly, or can tell you even the common
names of 20 kinds of insects. In out-of-
the-way   places   on   almost  every   farm,
afford to do without, a knowledge of the
principal parte of all the irregular verbs,
or a knowledge of the process by which
the brown earth builds from tiny seed the
stalk, and (lower, and fruit? From which
will he derive most pleasure during his
life work on the farm, a knowledge of
cube-root ami duodecimals, or a knowledge of the names ami structure of the
birds   and    fishes   which    he   daily    sees
wild flowers, far prettier than anycnltl- around him? Which will best cultivate
vated, bloom and exhale their fragrance; that refined feeling for beauty which en-
yet to the farmer they aro only "weeds," I allies one to discover the out-of-the-way,
because his eye has not been trained to unnoticed charms of nature, a knowledge
see their hidden beauties. of how to spell  correctly   "phthisic" and
All these objects form a portion CT the "unconiprt-hcnsihilily," or a knowledge.>f
wealth of the farmer which he never in-j those" geological laws and forces which
vcnlorics   when making   up a   statement   have  molded   and   carved   into  fantastic
of his property. It is a property which he
cannot sell, yet does not have to buy; and
yet hecan know of its existence or appreciate its magnitude only in proportion to his
knowledge of the elements of the natural
science. Meanwhile, most ofthe known
facts relating to those sciences remain,
locked up either in costly scientific works
printed in an unintelligible language, or
in the brains of such men as Cones, Gray,
Jorden, Riley, Newberry, and a score
more of our leading investigators and
scientists.
The essential duty of the coming generation Of scientists is not, therefore, so
much to learn more, as to use their influence in disseminating   among  the i	
pie generally that which is already known
forms, the surface of this grand old earth
of ours?
Let then the time spent in our common
schools on grammar, geography, spelling
and arithmetic, be lessened at least one-
half, and in the hours thus gained let the
elements of botany, geology, zoology and
entomology be taught. If this be found
impracticable at least one school iu each
township should be maintained where
such blanches are taught, for if farmers
pay the taxes to support the schools the
benefits which they receive from them
should be the most practical which can
be given.
The second method of disseminating
scientific knowledge among the people is
through   popular  scientific   writings   in
concerning I be objects of nature. There! cheap book, paper and magazine form,
are two principal ways of doing this. Every scientist owes it to his country to
First and foremost is by means of tbe' present the leading facte 61 his specialty
common schools, for, taking Indiana as in the language of the people. Textbooks
an example. ">s per cent of the pupils of need to be written in simple yet concise
the common schools become either farm- style and contain as few technical terms
ers or farmers' wives, while of the present j lis possible. A scientist, however, in writ-
farmers of the State only six per cent ever Ing for the people should state only that
attended any higher institution of learn- which be has seen and his opinion coning.   The   arts   by  which   they   live and   lerniiig it, and   not   that   which   he   has
gain a support for themselves and families are utterly   foreign to  anything tbey
ever saw or heard or studied in the little
school-houses where they spent so many
toilsome months nnd years.
Refore entering school every farmer's
son has begun to acquire for himself
many of the simpler facts of the natural
sciences, lie easily recognizes the differences between birds and bees. lie knows
at a glance a robin   from a   crow, a   mole
heard. In Kugland, to-day, the name of
(I illicit White of Sell .ou rue, is almost worshiped among the country people, and yet
he only wrote in simple language of the
hal.ils of the l.inls and bats, the reptiles
ami mammals, of his immediate neighborhood. Who can doubt but that many
a farmer's life has been rendered more
contented, more happy, and more useful,
for having read the pages of his "Natural
History   of  Sflboiiinc?"    Agassiz   ill his
fording the best means of developing the
mind, of expanding the thinking powers,
and educating our young people to investigate for themselves. Science in all its
phases would be advanced, for hundreds
of pairs of eyes where there is now one
would be on the lookout for those innumerable facts so necessary to great inductions; and soon the wish of White of Sel-
bourne would be more than realized, for
not only "every kingdom and every
province,"but every farm, "would have its
own monographer."
The material prosperity of the nation
would be greatly increased. A know ledge
of the elements of dynamic geology and
of soils would enable the farmer to choose
and use his fertilizers to the best possible
advantage and also to drain his lands in
the most practical manner. Noxious
weeds and insects could be discovered
and exterminated when their numbers
were few and thousands of dollars could
thus be saved l.y "taking a stitch in
time.."
There would be less dissatisfaction with
country life and fewer fanners' sons and
daughters would flock to the cities because, as a recent writer expresses it,
"they wish to get rid of the prosy, stunting, isolated life on the farm." With a
knowledge of the elements of siionce and
an interest in nature's objects, thev would
have something of which to think and
talk besides crops, stock, work, neighborhood gossip, and local politics, and the
attractions of the city wonld never excel
those to be found on the old homestead.
Finally, a broader culture and a more re-
lined taste would be noticeable among our
farmers. An interest in fossils, birds and
flowers begets a corresponding interest in
pictures, books and music.
The farm library, now made up in many
instances of the Bible and the almanac,
would receive new accessions. Pictureless
walls and homes without an instrument
of music would be the exception rather
than the rule. F*ewer devotees would pass
their entire existence in kneeling before
the shrine of the "almighty dollar," and,
as a conse.nience, both happiness and
prosperity would be the natural accompaniments of a rural life.
from a mouse, a fish from a crayfish. But "Geological Sketches,'' and Thoreau in his
once placed in school the great textbook "Waldeii" and "Maine Woods," poured
of nature written in the child's vernacular forth in simple, plain language their ac-
—the beautiful language of living facts cumulated stores of scientific lore; while
and visible forms -is taken from him, Grant Allen, John Bnrrough, and C. ('.
"and in its place eight text-books arc sub- Abbott furnish excellent living examples
slitute.l which arc the work of puny man, of "p..pillar" scientific writers. It is true
and on the leading principles of each of such men are laughed at and sneered at
which hardly two of our so-called "great ! by Unit class of eminent scientists men-
educators" will agree. tioned above, but nevertheless they have
Now, to banish wholly any one of the a mission to perform; and in time tocoine
eightcoiiiinc.il school studies is not for a their works will be read, and profitably
moment to be thought of j but there too, by thousands of the farming class,
should be a restriction inthe amount while, those Of. the scientists will be poured
taught of some of them; audi appeal to over only l.y a few special students eager
all fair minded persons as to which would to trace out the synonymy of some species
be more profitable to our fanners, a which has been described under a dozen
knowledge of the  names of  the rivers of  different names.
Patagonia and the capes id Australia, or a The good results of an increase of seien-
knowledge of how to distinguish the ben- Ufic knowledge among our farmers would
ericial from the injurious insect; so that [ soon be manifested in ways too numerous
they could protect the ,one and destroy ' to mention. The people as a whole would
the other? j be better educated, for school-men every-
•   Which can the farmer of the future bes    where recognize the study of nature as af-
COMMENCEMENT AT PURDUE.
The 18th annual commencement exercises of Purdue University took place
on Thursday, the Oth, The college chapel
was crowded with students and visitors.
In the absence of President Smart who
has gone to Kurope for his health, Prof.
L. S. Thompson, conferred the degrees
upon eight graduates—two ladies and six
gentlemen. The college is reported as
unusually prosperous, and the outlook
for next year is even more encouraging
than was that of the past.
A strange phenomenon occurred, in the
drilling of   the Oliver   gas well   at  South
I Bend. When the drill was at a depth of
825 feet, by some strange power, the pipe
025 feet long and weighing 5,000 pounds,
was    hurled    upward   with   tremendous
I force, thirty feet into the derrick. This
occurred several times on the lowering of
the drill, which was working in hard
limestone and 150 feet of water.
Vermont's centennial will occur in 1891,