140 3IissisHippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



As in the Universe, so upon our lesser ])lanet the laws of chemical affinity^ 

 as well as those controlling animal and vegetable life, are, in an essential de- 

 gree, inflexible; so that the constant changes occurring about us proceed in 

 regular and recurring cycles — in other words, in ruts, with only an occa- 

 sional erratic case, consequent, possibly, upon the influence of that disturb- 

 ing factor in the problem — man, who would seem, in various ways, to have 

 proved an element of discord, or a modifying factor, in the otherwise fatal- 

 istic problem. 



The lower animals, as well as birds and insects, are infallibly guided, in 

 the selection of their proper food, in the location and construction of their 

 nests, and in the preparation for their periodical, changes, as well as for the 

 changes of the seasons, by laws apparently inherent in their natures; of 

 whose mode of operation we can have no real conception, except as exempli- 

 fied by their acts in obedience to such behests. These are, therefore, merely 

 ruts, devised by the great Author of all things, to direct them hifallibly in 

 the fulfillment of their mission. 



Although it often seems ditiicult to draw the line of demarkation between 

 the results of what we are pleased to designate as instinct, and those attribu- 

 table to the operations of reason, man does not hesitate to arrogate to him- 

 self the sole possession of the latter; failing, doubtless, as the rule, to realize 

 liow much of grave responsibility hinges upon such assumption. 



It is, doubtless, this capacity to devise and establish premises, to draw con- 

 clusions therefrom, and to apply these to the working out of valuable or oth- 

 erwise important results; in other words, to devise new systems of ruts, as 

 guides to the working out of new processes that entitles man to the post of 

 honor; at the same time imposing upon him the more strongly the obliga- 

 tion to "act well his part." He is reputed to have initiated his six thousand 

 years sojourn upon the earth as a horticulturist; but, alas! either from not 

 having yet acquired the habit of rut-following, or because he chose rather to 

 be guided by his wife, he was very summarily thrown out of this groove, 

 and assigned the alternative of trying his fortune in the then undeveloped 

 general field of agriculture, from Avhich, during this long period, he has been 

 able to win the sustenance of the race; although it is, sometimes, very dis- 

 tinctly charged (and with warrant, if we consider certain modern discover- 

 ies), that he has wasted even more than he has succeeded in utilizing. Be 

 this as it may, it is clear that, during his long occupancy of this field, he has 

 succeeded in Avithdrawing the grains, the domestic animals and various other 

 products of nature, from the grooves in which they were originally wont to 

 exist, and in very greatly increasing their capacity to minister to his sup- 

 port. Whatever credit may be due the race, in this direction, to our appre- 

 hension, one of its constant and distinguishing characteristics has been a 

 persistent and thoughtless following in ruts previously worn by others. 



It has ever been a peculiarity of agricultural ruts that, while j'^et compara- 

 tively few in number, they are, by consequence, the more deeply worn, and 

 hence the more readily followed. Indeed, the time is hardly yet past when the 



