WINTER MEETING. 255 



Of all the ignorance in the country, none is so bad as that of our city chaps when 

 they come to the country and ask if turnips grow on vines, or pumpkins on trees ; 

 and the young lady needed this kind of a country horticultural library who said 

 "that it seemed nice to gather summer apples in the summer, but she pitied the 

 farmers who had to go out in the winter to gather winter apples." She needed a 

 horticultural library and some country knowledge ; in fact, a touch of nature. 



But I deem it, that we want discussion of the books most needed by the true 

 horticulturist to help develop him in his line of work. Whenever a man stops his 

 study or his investigation because he knows "just as much, and more too, than 

 the books can tell him," then it is time to question himself as to his knowledge. I 

 never was so struck with this idea of book learning, and the disrepute in which 

 men are held by too many of our people, as I was at one of the Farmers' Institutes 

 held in this State. I overhead a bunch of farmers discussing the meeting very 

 excitedly, and one made the remark ' 'that he had no use for the speakers at |the 

 institute, for they were all book farmers, and had never planted a tree In their 

 lives or used a spade or plow." It struck me rather forcibly, for I had been one of 

 the speakers that morning, and to be classed simply as a man without any experi- 

 ence seemed ludicrous to me, and rather humiliating besides, to one who had done 

 every one of these things with his own hands. 



This is where the library of nature and growing trees and plants are our best 

 teachers, but none the less do we need the experience of others who have spent a 

 life-time in the study. The experience of 8. T. Galloway with fungus growth, the 

 knowledge of Miss M. E. Murtfeldt in entomology, the results of experiments of 

 such men as Samuel Miller, H. Jaeger, M. G. Kern, John Burr, T. V. Munson, and 

 hundreds of others, is too valuable to be lost, and must be written in books so that 

 we can read them. 



The first book I would call your attention to is Gray's "Botany." Of all the 

 pleasant studies I think this is the most fascinating. A true science ; it is so nicely 

 worked out ; when you take a flower and begin by noting its parts and tearing it 

 to pieces, there to read its origin, its history, its family, its name even ; and how 

 delighted to find the result so easily, so well and so surely. It is with the utmost 

 satisfaction that we take a flower, like taking an unknown path, and after going 

 to every part of it, find it leads to such a sure home or name. 



The second book is Dana's "Geology," for the fruit-grower should know about 

 the soils as well as the fruits. 



The third is Downing's "Fruits and Fruit-Trees of America," the most com- 

 plete work on fruits in the country. We must also have Thomas' "Fruit Cultur- 

 ist," for it gives us some things not found in others, and it is a handy reference 

 book also. 



For a person who wants to understand more of the growth of plants and the 

 feeding of plants, the uses of the roots, the branches, the leaves, the fruit, the 

 seeds, in fact the science of growth, he should get Johnson's " How Crops Grow " 

 and '" How Crops Feed," two very valuable books indeed to anyone who loves the 

 study of nature. 



Our next books must be on the small fruits. Fuller's " Small Fruit Culturist," 

 " Farmer on the Strawberry," Husman's "American Grape-Growing," are among 

 the best published. Quinn'a " Pear Culture for Profit," Meachi's " Quince Cul- 

 ture," Fulton's " Peach Culture," Henderson's "Gardening for Profit," Quinn's 

 " Money in the Garden," Henderson's " Practical Floriculture," Roe's " Play and 

 Profit in my Garden," Vick's " Flower and Vegetable Garden," will cover about 

 all that is absolutely needed in the fruit, flower and vegetable garden. Perhaps 



