NEED OF ACCURATE OBSERVATION. 63 



of men in this audience who do not linow which way the 

 sharp point of the seed is placed in the apple, — a fruit that 

 you have all around you, and cut open and eat every day ! 

 What is the use of standing here, and talking about observ- 

 ing, when this is the result ? Some six or eight voted to put 

 it towards the stem, and twice as many to put it towards the 

 calyx ; that is to say, you are wrong two to one, besides a 

 great many who do not know any thing about it. I cannot 

 give any better illustration of the want of observation, or, 

 rather, the want of observing in such a manner that you 

 can carry your knowledge with you always ; and, unless you 

 do this, you will be constantly making observations and 

 making experiments, and leaving out some important thing 

 which seems to you of no importance whatever. Now, if 

 you cut an apple open, you will find that sharp point to be 

 towards the stem. But just bear this in mind whenever you 

 are carrying on any of these discussions ; and let no man 

 get up here and say, "I have observed this, and observed 

 that," and go on, and show by every thing he says, almost, 

 hour after hour, that he has failed to observe those things 

 that are absolutely essential to the accuracy of his observa- 

 tion, or the perfection of his experiment. 



I have been trying some experiments this year in regard 

 to fertilization, which would carry me directly, if I should 

 begin with those, to the subject which Professor Goodale, one 

 of my old pupils, will present to-morrow evening in a very 

 much better way than I can do it. I propose to commence 

 very far back, and to pass on very rapidly indeed. I am glad 

 to have these flowers and plants here. Just look at these 

 plants, and see what treasures we have. In the first place, 

 here are ferns. If we turn over the fronds, we find the fruit 

 in minute dots. Put them under the microscope, and we 

 should find the ultimate fruit, or spore, to be simply a little 

 cell. Here we find a tree loaded with oranges, — large, beau- 

 tiful, most delicious fruit. We find our table covered Avith 

 beautiful flowers. Whence came all these ? What was the 

 origin of all these ? I do not propose to-night to spend your 

 time in discussing Darwin's theory, or any other theories; 

 but I wish to call your attention to the beginning of plant- 

 life, and then to bring you rapidly along through the changes 

 that we know have taken place as we come up to the plants 



