Horticulture in Civilization. 125 



yielding to this necessity. With the astuteness we have mentioned, he fre- 

 quently observes defects in our present lists of fruits, vegetables and other 

 horticultural productions, and with a laudable ambition and commendable 

 zeal, he applies himself to their improvement, and whoever shall produce a 

 single improved variety is a benefactor to his race. That there will be fail" 

 ures sometimes is to be expected. The records of the past are full of illus- 

 trations of this in other departments. Columbus made several unsuccessful 

 efforts before he could obtain the necessary aid to start him on his way to 

 the discovery of another continent, and several failures occurred before " Cy- 

 rus laid the cable." But the successes of the past are also encouraging, and 

 many of the excellent fruits of to-day are the result of intelligent effort in 

 this direction. The extent of the eftbrt must be governed by the circum- 

 stances and the judgment of him who makes it. It is the part of wisdom to 

 decide all experiments in this way. Whatever is commendable in the indi- 

 vidual is commendable also in the masses, and hence every horticultural 

 body, local, state, or national, should aid in this matter, and contribute to- 

 ward the general good. Realizing this, it may be well for us as a body, now 

 national, to appeal to our general government for aid through experimental 

 stations and otherwise as its wisdom may suggest, for assistance in carrying 

 forward the interests of horticulture now engaging so large a portion of our 

 population. Who will lead in this good cause ? 



Another suggestion offers here. Some men of ardent temperament are so 

 fond of excitement, so impatient, so anxious to accumulate rapidly, that they 

 are led into various games of chance, trusting to luck, as they call it, for suc- 

 cess, and luck often betrays them into ruin. Let such cultivate fruits or 

 vegetables, and in shipping them to market they will soon learn to watch 

 for the account sales from their commission merchants with as much eager- 

 ness as they would the toss of a die or a card, and with far greater chances 

 of success, thus affording a safety valve, as it were in that direction, and giv- 

 ing what, for want of a better term, we shall call honesty in chance. 



We might also mention other good traits of character fostered or devel- 

 oped by horticulture, such as forecast, carefulness, frugality, etc. ; but enough 

 has been said, we trust, to demonstrate that horticulture in this country, by 

 the memories of the great and good who through all ages have been its pat- 

 rons, by the extent and magnitude of its operations, by its usefulness in that 

 it ministers to the wants of all classes, by the certainty of its compensations 

 for those who engage in it, by the fact that it inculcates system and order, 

 also thoroughness in whatever is undertaken; that it stimulates to industry, 

 develops gratitude and reverence, encourages peaceable living and obedi- 

 ence to law, supplies a safeguard to those who, hasty to be rich, " fall into 

 temptation and a snare;" that it improves the fertility of our soil, increas- 

 ing its capacity to support future millions in generations yet unborn who 

 are to inhabit it; and that it is progressive in its character, aids greatly in 

 establishing our citizenship on a broader and higher plane. 



