230 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



For some reason, perhaps the setting out or purchase of an orchard, he becomes 

 interested in fruit-culture, and sets about to learn something of the subject. 

 He purchases a fruit book or two, perhaps Downing, with his 850 pages devoted 

 to the description of varieties, and only a hundred and lifty to the discussion, 

 use, and culture of all sorts of fruits, including melons, and subscribes for one 

 or two horticultural papers. The first walk lie takes in his orchard a dozen 

 questions spring up in regard to its growth and nianageiucnt. 



He refers to his fruit book, but in vain ; the point is not discussed at all. 

 He waits the visit of some horticultural friends, and propounds the question to 

 them, and none can answer that tbey know, though each gives a different opin- 

 ion. His faith in their hoi'tieultural knowledge is shaken ; he asks a friend, 

 ''Is A mucli of a fruit man?" "Why, yes, he is one of the best posted men on 

 varieties of apples there is in the State." In tliis way, sooner or later, he learns 

 that all tluit is expected of a fruit-man, or of a fruit-book, for that matter, is 

 to give a novice those general directions for the management of his trees tliat 

 have been known and practiced for ages, and which common sense alone 

 would suggest, and to know the greatest possible number of varieties, 

 and that none of them know much more than can be readily seen in re- 

 gard to plant-growth. Soon he drops all questions that trouble him into 

 the category of "those things that no fellow can find out" — and effects 

 a familiar superiority to fruit books now never referred to except to iden- 

 tify a variety, and the horticultural articles in his papers, because they are 

 evidently for beginners. As he is a constant attendant at horticultural meet- 

 ings, he is elected to some office, and forthwith he is known as one of the prom- 

 inent fruit men of the State. And he is a fair representative of a body of men 

 who boast of their exceptional intelligence and the elevating character of their 

 profession. Tiiore is not one of us that can answer many more of the ques- 

 tions in regard to the growth of trees that an intelliirent boy would ask, tlian 

 could our ancestors 100 years ago. We have gained an entry into the vestibule of 

 Pomona's temple, and instead of crowding on up the long flight of steps to where 

 she sits ready to reveal the wonderful beauties hidden beyond, Ave lean back in 

 our chairs, and, looking about, say, oriC to another, "Wondrous fine Iniilding this! 

 splendid ceiling I Isn't this a {)leasant coniitany we iiavc here? Ain't we smart 

 to have got in?" Ilow can we expect to advance under such circumstances? 

 How can we expect that Pomona will comedown and drag us into her hall? 

 There is no royal road even to horticultural learning, and here, as everywhere, 

 we must labor it' we would know wisdom. 



If we continue in this indolent intellectual condition the next generation will 

 have to take up the work just Avliere we did, and there will be no possibility of 

 advancement, ^\'hat we need is first to rid our minds of the idea that the hid- 

 den mysteries of plant-growth are jiast finding out, and go about day by day 

 carefully observing and comparing all phenomena that will aid us in solving 

 them. I have been told that were wo to go into friend Ilgenfritz's nursery and 

 cut 530 sticks of buds of as many different varieties, bring them in and throw 

 them on the table before him, he would correctly name nineteen of the twenty. 

 Now I believe that the same observation and study which has enabled him to do 

 this, would if so applied, solve many of the questions that now perplex us, and 

 it is just this kind of observation we want. Secondly, wo must study the results 

 of experiments and observations of others as presented in our horticultural 

 papers. You answer we do not find them there, the papers all S33m prepared 

 especially for beginners. Very well, then write the results of your own obser- 



