FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 141 



young in our schools who are especially likely to be influenced by its teachings ; 

 so that education by labor as well as by study shall become a pleasure and not 

 a task. Second, to our horticultural societies and to tlic professional horti- 

 culturist do we look to spread and enforce a broader knowledge and apprecia- 

 tion of the art among the people, both by precept and example, so tliat their 

 influence may stimulate the enlightened tsiste and public spirit of communities 

 into a spirit of inquiry and improvement. Agricultural societies have done 

 much in this direction, but once a year is not often enough for farmers to 

 come together and compare notes. The tiller of the soil needs to study and 

 improve his methods the year through, and no better plan now suggests itself 

 than the organizing and sustaining clubs for discussion and mutual improve- 

 ment. Nor do we consider it advisable to confine the membership of such 

 clubs to tillers of the soil exclusively, because it will often be found that many 

 business men and mechanics are much interested in agricultural matters, and 

 often have gardens in which the choicest fruits and flowers are cultivated with 

 care and intelligence ; certainly no class are more desirous of uniting with 

 farmers and horticulturists in this matter than the intelligent business man of 

 the country. Interchange of thought and opinion between people engaged in 

 different pursuits is mutual commerce and a great mutual benefit. We are 

 glad to notice the increase in numbers and influence of these clubs ; they can- 

 not fail in promoting the best interests of communities wherever they exist. 

 Third, upon the press rests the well being of a people ; upon journals devoted 

 to the technology of particular arts rests the progress of that art, because the 

 intelligence of communities is formed and fixed by what they read. We need, 

 then, in this direction, not only more newspapers, books, and essays, but more 

 concentrated teaching, more good examples to imitate. 



Looking at horticulture in its broadest sense we see that it must in some way 

 reach nearly every home. Differ in other matters as Ave may, we here meet on 

 the broad and comprehensive platform of universal sympathy and common 

 manhood. As an educating power it tends to give stability to its followers, 

 binding families to their homes, providing shade and shelter, both from the 

 heats of a summer sun, as well as the chilling blast of winter's storm, while at 

 the same time it surrounds us with beautiful lawns and trees, and beautifies 

 our windows with plants that cheer us with their blossoms in winter. They 

 are living things, hence it is that we love them, for the advantages secured by 

 permanent occupation cannot be measured. It is enough for us to know that 

 the highest form of civilization can only be reached by such a people. Horti- 

 cultural pursuits quicken thought and observation as its domain covers the 

 whole field of natural science. Not science as taught in the class-room only, 

 but to nature herself and its practical application to the wants of man. It is 

 not enough that we understand the theory of hybridization or the classification 

 of plants, but its practical application to the process of horticulture, tlie laws 

 of nature deriving most their importance from a practical application of their 

 principles. The mysteries of the microscope have a powerful hold on the im- 

 agination of the scientist, but to the farmer or gardener whose hopes may be 

 blasted in an hour by the presence of some vegetable parasite, they assume a 

 practical importance of the greatest moment. Questions of the most vital im- 

 portance arc constantly arising which shall be answered either by your own 

 experience or that of other?, the result cannot fail of being profitable to your 

 powers of study and observation, and a practical mental culture will be acquired 

 in a large degree measured by the will of the man. The work of the horticul- 

 turist also favors a denser population than that of ordinary farming, as it 



