PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 221 



require. This knowledge is particularly desirable for him, as most of 

 his crops are grown under unnatural and forced conditions, and they 

 are more likely to be injured by unfavorable climatic and other sur- 

 roundings than most of the ordinary farm crops. The higher a plant is 

 specialized, and the further along certain lines it departs from the 

 wild type from which it came, the greater will be its value, but the 

 best results can not be secured unless one is familiar with the require- 

 ments of the crop in the way of soil, location, food, and care, and has 

 the practical experience that will enable him to provide these in an 

 efficient and economical manner. 



Herbert Spencer, in his famous essay on education, says: "The great 

 mass of mankind are employed in the production, preparation, and dis- 

 tribution of commodities, and their efficiency in their labors depends 

 upon the use of methods fitted to the respective natures of these com- 

 modities; it depends upon an accurate knowledge of their physical, 

 chemical, or vital properties; that is it depends on science. Scientific 

 culture is necessary that he may understand the why and the how of 

 these things, and processes with which he is concerned as maker or 

 distributor." 



By many persons the meaning of the word "science" is not well under- 

 stood, as it is often used to express contempt or derision. Thus, if a 

 man without any knowledge of the calling engages in farming, it will not 

 be strange if he makes mistakes; but, instead of ascribing his blunders 

 to his ignorance, his neighbors attribute it to his use of science, and 

 sneeringly refer to him as an example of a scientific farmer. Others 

 mav have the wildest and most foolish theories, that are contrarv to 

 reasou and the experience of the merest tyro, and when they are put 

 into practice the resulting failures are ascribed to the use of scientific 

 methods. 



The very meaning of the word science, however, shows that this idea 

 is an erroneous one, as, in its strict derivation, and as properly used, it 

 means "knowledge" ; or in other w^ords, it tells us why and how certain 

 operations will benefit our crops and certain others will be injurious to 

 them. In the minds of many persons it is impossible to obtain scientific 

 information except by taking a college course or by long-continued close 

 application in the library or laboratory; but, so far as the horticulturist 

 in concerned, this is far from being true. 



The w^ork of the horticulturist is to grow plants, and he does this with 

 the hope that some parts (fruit, flower, stem, leaf, or root) will please 

 the eye or tempt the palate. If engaged in the business commercially, 

 the greater will be pecuniary returns, and the higher will be the skill 

 required, if excellence is attained. It can at once be seen that the 

 more information he possesses regarding the crops that he grows, the 

 soil and air by which they are surrounded, and the conditions of moist- 

 ure and temperature that are most favorable to them, the better will 

 he be able to handle his crops and provide them with congenial surround- 

 ings. In order that he may do this, what knowledge must he possess? 

 As he is to deal with plants, he should know the structure of the differ- 

 ent parts and the functions that are performed by each. He should 

 understand the nature of the food required by different plants and the 

 various parts of the same plants; the temperature at which they will 



