Vermont State Horticultural SociETy 43 



more good agriculturists in such sections, and they are of great 

 benefit to the country at large. 



There are men about Boston who have studied agriculture 

 and horticulture and within from three to six years are getting 

 .salaries from $5000 to $10,000 a year. What is greenhouse work? 

 Is it anything but concentrated agriculture? 



In regard to growing of crops. Put a young man in the 

 greenhouse ; he knows his plants are going to grow for he has 

 the proper soil, soil with life in it. Why is it that people send 

 their plants to a greenhouse to be potted and repotted? Because 

 they know the men at the greenhouse understand what to give 

 the plants to make growth. That is why the farms will grow 

 and produce great crops, because the men learn how to make the 

 soil productive at school. Take a man that is successful in a 

 greenhouse and you will have a successful farmer. Why? Be- 

 cause he knows how to concentrate his efforts. 



In regard to the practical breeding of plants. The question 

 of soils is a big one, and we must study it. It takes a man a 

 year or two to become familiar with soils, and to know why one 

 soil is different from another, and why one field is so different 

 from another field. 



After we have studied the soil and know soil fertility an- 

 other thing that comes in very directly is practical plant 

 breeding. Until within a few years we have known com- 

 paratively little about plant breeding. We have known about 

 the breeding of live stock and we pay a good deal of attention 

 to the breeding and improving of live stock ; going abroad and 

 paying large sums of money for certain breeding animals for 

 the purpose of building up the stock. We can build up and 

 improve our plants and shrubs as much, I am sure, but we have 

 got to know how to do it. People don't know plants ; you 

 go through a greenhouse, which is a concentrated form of agricul- 

 ture ; you pass through it, and glance at it, and you make up 

 your mind at once whether the man in charge knows his business 

 or not. If the plants are covered with some disease, or the tem- 

 perature is too high or too low, it will show in the plants. They 

 say that in the florist business about 94% make a success of it. 

 Some men try to grow plants that need a good deal, and plants 

 that need little, moisture in the same room. What are the re- 

 sults? The greenhouse worker has his farm under glass the 

 same as the farmer has his farm out of doors. 



I have looked up a few subjects that we have been studying 

 in recent years one, the improvement of the squash. I have sent 

 all over the country where I could get new varieties and en- 

 deavored to grow them. I wanted to find out how the squash 

 originated. The best I can find out about the various varieties 



