94 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



In an address, ex-President T. C. Abbot made the statement that: "Agri- 

 culture, horticulture, forestry are applied botany and botany is the only 

 secure basis of agriculture." 



Prof. W. W. Tracy, in 1877, made the statement before the Michigan 

 State Horticultural Society, that horticulture had advanced but little 

 in the past 150 years, except in two directions. The greatest progress 

 had been made by botanists, who had by systematic efforts originated 

 new varieties. Progress nearly as great has been made by the entomo- 

 logist in his systematic warfare against insect enemies. Probably the 

 statement is as true in 1001 as it was twenty-four years ago. We should 

 certainly, also, at this time, credit the botanist, with many investiga- 

 tions of the life history of the lower forms of ])lant life, which are in- 

 jurious to cultivated plants, and in discovering remedies for many of 

 those most destructive, such as black rot of the grape, the curl of 

 peach leaves, apple scab and others. 



Botany, as taught today by the best teachers, is emphatically a 

 science in which the student is sent directly to nature for his facts. In 

 This way he should become an accurately trained and reliable observer. 

 He applies numerous questions to his plants, by observation, trying many 

 exjteriments. and in studying their behavior; in this manner the student 

 cultivates his judgment and learns to draw correct conclusions. 



Well grounded in systematic botany, he is likely to avoid falling 

 into numerous errors so often made by persons who learn horticulture as 

 a mere trade. 



Farmers, bee-keepers, florists, vegetable gardeners, — all classes of en- 

 quiring minds are often anxious to learn of the botanist the names and 

 some of the peculiarities and uses of some plant which is new to them, 

 or. if it is supposed to be injurious, they are eager to learn the best 

 methods of extermination. 



The botanist is often beset to identify the seeds which the farmer finds 

 in grass seed or clover seed. Seedsmen often ap])eal to a botanist to 

 ascertain whether certain seeds are genuine or not. 



Prof. Caruthers was the consulting botanist for members of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of Great Britain, and for a small fee. he identi- 

 fied samples of grass seeds, that the farmer might know by the sample 

 what he was buying, for he bought subject to the inspection of the 

 botanist. Many members availed themselves of this privilege, and this 

 in a very few years was the means of improving in a striking manner 

 the quality of seeds offered in the markets. 



This systematic side of botany is indispensable to one to enable him 

 to distinguish and name plants in cultivation, and to observe tjieir 

 afiinities. 



Geographical botany may teach of the soil and climate in which a cer- 

 tain I'liiiit thrives, and how to treat it when carried to a new country. 

 Here, however, experience, experiment and the judgment are all valu- 

 able aids. IMants are not always found in a wild state where they will 

 thrive best. This is true of many of our weeds, and of many ])lants cul- 

 tivated for various purposes. 



Who will point out the relationship of plants and find suitable stocks 

 on which to "work" our cultivated shrubs and trees? The botanist. 

 And the botanist will know better than to. attempt a union of scions 

 of chestnut on stock of horse-chestnuts — something actually attempted 



