BEAL ON RELATIONS OF BOTANY TO AGRICULTURE. 93 



PAPEK READ BEFORE THE SECTION OF AGRICULTURE. 



SOxME OF THE RELATIONJ^i OF BOTANY TO AGRICULTURE. 



BY W. J. BEAL, PH. D. 



It may seem the height of folly to attempt to enumerate a consider- 

 able number of the relations of botany to agriculture before such a com- 

 pany as this, but 1 have learned that there is often gross ignorance, 

 even in high places, concerning such things. 



For example, in 1800, the Botanical Laborator}' and its museum at 

 the Agricultural College burned to the ground. The Legislature of 

 181(1 was asked to appropriate monej- to build a new one. Some of the 

 members, including a portion of the special committee on the College, 

 stoutl}- opposed rebuilding on the ground that botany had no business 

 to be taught at an agricultural college. It was no part of agriculture 

 and the farmer had no need of any botany whatever. 



We must acknowledge that many farmers still retain a prejudice 

 against botany. What they have in mind, is probably the old botany, 

 as thev conceived it, or as taught or studied 75 vears ago. Thev mav 

 have supposed that botany consists of little else than merely giving 

 technical names to plants, or parts of plants. Did they know all the 

 facts then, there could be no difference of opinion as to its great value. 

 In fact, most farmers are all the time discussing botanical subjects 

 from their point of view, — and not a small number of them are giving 

 what they believe to be good reasons for the statement that wheat turns 

 to chess, or why is it best to plant potatoes in the new of the moon, or 

 why and how the moon causes the potatoes to rot, or the damp, hot and 

 still weather causes wheat to rust, plums to rot and pears to blight. 



In its broad and true sense, agriculture includes horticulture, and 

 horticulture includes pomology, floriculture, vegetable gardening, viti- 

 culture, and a portion of landscape gardening. Agriculture includes 

 the art of growing various kinds of live stock, various kinds of field 

 crops, and many other things. Agriculture also includes apiculture. 



Botany relates mainly to the science, and not much to the art of 

 agriculture or horticulture. 



Baron Von Liebig said: "The scientific basis of agriculture em- 

 braces a knowledge of all the conditions of vegetable life, of the origin 

 of the elements of plants, and of the source from which they derive 

 their nourishment."' 



Prof. Lindley said: ''Good agriculture and horticulture are founded 

 upon the laws of vegetable physiology. No man deserves the name 

 of gardener who is not master of everything known as to the way in 

 wiiich plants feed, breathe, grow, digest, and have their being.'' 



