STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 191 



example, the appearance of daylight every morning is no more an unfail- 

 ing fact than it is an unceasing sign or symbol of the coming sunrise. A 

 peculiar sky, and wind and temperature, are no more certain co-existing 

 facts than they are general, even though not unfailing signs, or tokens, or 

 symbols of coming wind or rain. So in our spiritual and moral relations. 

 When a man purposely cheats you, or lies to you once, it is a pretty 

 heavy sign that he will do it again if he can get a chance, though not a 

 certain one. Now in meteorology, and in all other human intere.sts not 

 yet reduced to absolute law and science proper, common sense impels us 

 not only to notice the facts themselves, as facts, but also to take careful 

 note of their general surroundings, or of what those facts signify to us as 

 signs or symbols of those attendant or coming surroundings. Indeed, all 

 possible natural philosophy is, in one aspect of the case, nothing but a 

 true observation of facts as signs, or the making of one fact or relation a 

 sign or symbol of an immensely wide group of attendant or similar facts 

 and relations. Thus we use the back-bone of animals as the sign or sym- 

 bol of a great group, which we call vertebrated animals; the web foot of 

 the duck as the symbol of the swimmers ; or the long legs of the crane as 

 that of the waders, and so on. We group all the totally unknown and 

 even undefmable and inconceivable causes of motion together, and call 

 them FORCE or forces, of which, and of the presence of which, motion of 

 all sorts is the only symbol, sign and proof. So on all subjects, he that 

 notes things, more clearly seen and known as the true signs or symbols 

 of what is otherwise unknown, or less clearly known, is the only true 

 philosopher in all interests alike. But pre-eminently is this so in a new 

 science like that of meteorology ; and in all these observations plain com- 

 mon sense is not only the best human faculty, but the only one, on which 

 any sort of reliance can be placed. Most true, it should be common 

 sense, duly informed and drilled, and disciplined, and competent to its 

 work. As when we speak of any thing as the work of human hands, we 

 mean hands developed and disciplined by use, not hands dwarfed and 

 crippled and paralyzed by utter disuse. Shall I fly off in a tangent here 

 to harangue you anew on the absolute necessity of the proper drill and 

 discipline of our Industrial University, and other schools, to all our inter- 

 ests alike? — or shall I spare you this infliction, and leave you to judge for 

 yourselves? I will for once spare you ; you cannot help judging right. 



I make the above remarks to .show that horticulturists have all the 

 natural faculties of observing these facts and signs in meteorology that 

 any men have or can have. Reading one single book like that of Butler 

 would put them into tlie habit of observing them daily, and give them the 

 right general method of observation, while the whole process would 

 enlarge their minds, daily sharpen their intellectual powers, and aid, in 

 the only way they can now aid, in the advance of that needful science — 

 giving them from time to time many most useful hints and aids in the suc- 

 cessful conduct of their daily business. Nor ought they to be laughed out 

 of such observations by mere scientific pedants, wlio imagine that long 

 strings of mere facts and figures alone can make a science, however accu- 

 rately obtained and noted. Who does not know that nothing in this wide 



