Horticulture vs. Buts. 139 



Great praise is due our Northern brethren for their early foresight in 

 these matters, and the numerous well regulated County, State and general 

 societies to meet the emergencies of the times. There has been formed 

 even a most extensive, intelligent " American Nurseryman's Association," an 

 "American Forestrj- Congress," an "American Agricultural Association," 

 an " American Pomological Society : " but these, in the great West and 

 South, are heard of only as holding forth away in the Northeast, from which 

 the Mississippi Valley, especially its western slope, is looked upon as "a 

 wild, unsettled country." It remains for this Society to rise in her might, 

 and, as her territory is great, also become truly great and beneficent, and 

 join hands with true progress everywhere, and make every rod of western 

 soil a teeming hot-bed of usefulness. Looking over the programme of exer- 

 cises for this meeting, as published by our worthy President and Secretary, 

 the themes discussed indicate that they, too, were inspired with the same 

 sentiments which brought forth these remarks. 



Thank Providence, the ship sails in the right direction. Her name is 

 Progress; her rudder. Prudence ; her beacon light, Investigation; her cargo, 

 the products of skilled Horticulture from all the world; her banner, "Peace 

 and good will among men." Brothers I Sisters I speed her on her blessed 

 mission. Fill every sail with wind of fact. To her speed add wings of 

 steam and electric flight, that she may sail swiftly into the port of humanity? 

 strong and bright, in reason's broad light, under a smiling heaven. 



The President — The name of President T. T. I^yon, of Michigan, 

 is as widely known as horticultural newspapers circulate. I es- 

 teem it fortunate that we have been able to secure Mr. Lyon's pres- 

 ence here, and an excellent paper froni him — he never writes any 

 other kind — upon so suggestive a subject as 



HORTICULTURE VS. RUTS. 



BY^\T. LYOSi OF MICHIGAN. 



If we may accept the demonstrations of the mathematician and scientist. 

 and their theories as well, we will be almost unavoidably brought to the con- 

 clusion, that the great congeries of planets, designated as the solar system, as 

 well as that intangible and apparently illimitable aggregation known as the 

 Universe, in which immense worlds maintain their apparently permanent 

 positions, or wheel their ceaseless rounds, obviously in obedience to the fiat 

 of definite and unvarying laws, are to be considered as a congeries of ruts, 

 devised by the great Author of all things, including, here and there, the er- 

 ratic track of a comet, apparently thrown in to quicken our apprehensions 

 by the possibilities, real or imaginary, of collision and destruction, upon a 

 scale too grand and calamitous for mere human conception, but whose path 

 may, nevertheless, be only ruts, so complex and involved that we are un- 

 able to trace them. 



