STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 69 



the cosmos — and an increasing power to use elements of force or action 

 which we could not wield aforetime. Every opportunity to gain a new 

 control of natural forces should be ardently embraced — every chance to 

 extend our domain should be seized with avidity ; and here, in the mat- 

 ter of variations, which imply the possibility of improvement, is a broad 

 and fertile field to cultivate. We cannot know too well why and how 

 these things are. We cannot divest our minds too much of all prejudice 

 and prior conceptions, when we approach a new matter to weigh and 

 investigate it. And we can hardly, even possessing, as some of us do, 

 the enthusiasm of the amateur florist or pomologist, estimate what values, 

 scientific and material, may be made to flow* from a right study of the 

 branch of vegetable physiology relating to variations. It is my hope that, 

 amid your studies of the other and great principles involved in horticul- 

 ture, you will not neglect the branch I have so discursively and imper- 

 fectly treated in this paper ; and, should my hasty thoughts provoke such 

 attention to the matter as that it shall become in time and through study 

 a clearer and clearer one in your minds, my aspirations will be fulfilled. 



Prof. McAfee — It might seem a figure of speech when I speak of 

 nuts holding a pine tree. In our white pine seed you may be troubled to 

 imagine it, but here [showing] we have a nut of some one of the Rocky 

 Mountain pines. You will see at the top a little plumule — that is, a whorl 

 of pine leaves ; in the center you can see a bud and stalk — and in the base 

 it is a root in nature and appearance ; we have actually a pine tree, in all 

 respects perfect as a pine tree, only small — and a store of nutriment laid 

 up with it. 



RESOLUTIONS. 



Mr. Greene — Before the regular order is proceeded with, I have a 

 series of resolutions to ofler, as follows : 



Resolved, That it is the sense of this Society that our legislative bodies should 

 recognize the importance of the rapidly extending horticultural interests of the State — 

 which are now so apparent as to ret|uire no argumentative discussion — hy providing for 

 the reorganization of the Stale Horticultural Society, upon the basis proposed in the bill 

 now before them. 



Resolved, That the members of this Society, both present here and absent, are 

 requested and expected to present the suljject of this bill to the legislative members of 

 their respective districts, in full confidence that a knowledge of its provisions and its 

 importance to the State will prompt their favorable action. 



Mr. Greene — In presenting these resolutions I wish to say that I do 

 it for the purpose of getting the subject not only discussed here, but to 

 get it before the people of the State, so as to create public opinion and 

 sentiment in regard to it. Every one of you has probably some influence 

 with your local papers. If you will get these resolutions published, as you 

 well can, and get editorial reference to them, you will have reproduced 



