THE ANNUAL jMEETING. 225 



knowing, and to attempt to follow any of tlie niethods found in books or 

 papers, written as they claimed by men who had had no actual experience in 

 carrying out what they wrote about, was sure to result in failure. 



The old-fashioned reverence for practical experience is not so far out of the 

 way as we are sometimes apt to think, and the old fogies as tliev are some- 

 times termed were all right so far as their knowledge went, but tliey didn't 

 seem to comprehend tlic whole idea. 



All that has been accomplished in horticulture is based upon practical expe- 

 rience. We may theorize about what the effect of certain applications or 

 practices will be on various kinds of matter or things; but when we attempt to 

 make up a theory, the practice of which will modify or change anything that 

 has life, the only proof is in the test. 



The old astronomers after working out the laws of attraction and gravita- 

 tion, Avere, by a series of calculations, enabled to tell where certain stars and 

 planets were located, although they could not be seen. But we can't work out 

 by any system of calculations what the effect of a certain method of pruning 

 or crossing, or cultivation will be on a living plant till we try it. We may 

 think it will have a certain effect, and niay not be able to see liow it can possi- 

 bly be otherwise, but there is no proof till it is actually tried. All who have 

 attempted to discover or prove any new method or practice as applied to living 

 plants, or animals, know that anything of value is rarely found, as the 

 failures are innumerable. 



If the entire human family comprised but a handful of people all living near 

 together and constantly exchanging ideas, there would, perhaps, not be so much 

 need of horticultural literature, as the valuable thini2;s discovered would be 

 handed down from father to son ; but, scattered over the world as the human 

 family are, there is no way to get what others have learned and are learning by 

 experience except through books and papers, and, what is of ecpial importance, 

 we can only in the same way learn something of the failures of others and be 

 enabled to steer clear of the rocks upon which they foundered. 



To know what has been done in any branch of horticulture is of value to 

 every one who is carrying on something in the same line. He should know of 

 the failures, as well as of the successes, because he should adopt the good and 

 not go over the ground again that has proved barren. Too much time is 

 w^asted in trying things that have been tried before and found worthless. It is 

 said that application after application is made to the patent office at Washing- 

 ton for patents that were granted or refused years before, many times for 

 things that required months, and even years, to work up. We have the same 

 thing in horticulture ; but as we get to learning more, and have better books and 

 papers, and have them more generally read and understood, we may hope to 

 have less time wasted in this way. By studying the books and papers of to-day 

 we get the experience of the world and for all past time. 



It is often said that to be successful as a fruit crrower or "-ardener a man 

 must have practical experience ; it is set down as the most important thing. 

 Let us see if nothing more is necessary : Suppose it v>-ere possible to bring a 

 man from some other world who was possessed of industry, intelligence and an 

 ambition to be successful in something, but who knew nothing of our wa3-s and 

 methods; suppose he were given a fertile farm and induced to take up fruit 

 growing, and was provided with an outfit of plants and trees in abundance, but 

 not allowed to read any paper or book, or learn anything from his neighbors, 

 how long would it take him to learn by practical experience the way in which to 

 29 



