222 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. . 



develop to the best advantage; the character of soil that is suited to 

 their growth, and the amount of moisture which they need. These and 

 many other points that relate to the growth of plants are included in 

 that one of the natural sciences to which the name botany has been 

 given. 



In the early days, botany treated only of the medicinal plants and 

 their properties, and later on it consisted, as studied in the schools, of 

 collecting and pressing plants for an herbarium; but the botany of today 

 is certainly one of the stepping-stones to successful horticulture. It 

 treats of plants of all kinds, and aids us in understanding the nature of 

 those that are injurious as well as those that are beneficial. It will 

 aid us in recognizing the weeds and fungi with which we have to con- 

 tend, and by informing us regarding their mode of life will enable us 

 to select remedies for their destruction. 



Certain trees (and even orchards of single varieties of apple, pear,, 

 and plum) have often failed to produce a crop of fruit, but the cause was 

 not ascertained until recently, when it was found that the fruit would 

 not set unless the flowers were fertilized with pollen from some other 

 variety. Planters who' are up with the times no longer set large blocks 

 of one variety. If they know why it is undesirable, they certainly have 

 some knowledge of botany. We may very properly claim that anything 

 that relates to the structure or growth of plants is botany, and, although 

 they might ''deny the allegation and disagree with the alligator", claim- 

 ing that they knew nothing about botany, the amount of knowledge that 

 could very well be considered botany, possessed by many of our most 

 successful horticulturists, would be quite surprising, and we can justly 

 claim that it has had much to do in securing their success. 



The horticulturist must also have a knowledge of the soil in which 

 his plants are grown, of the character of food that will be furnished by 

 the different kinds, and the physical conditions that, by varying the 

 amount of water and air, will render them most favorable to the growth 

 of the plants. He must also know regarding the various sources of 

 plant food, the amounts required, and the methods of handling and 

 applying them. These and hundreds of other points that are of value 

 to the horticulturist are supplied by chemistry and physics. In these 

 days, when our soils are becoming exhausted and we need to look about 

 us for a suppl}^ of plant food to keep up their fertilit}^ every one should 

 be informed of the necessity for and the value of the different kinds of 

 fertilizer. While most of them have a value that approximates to their 

 cost, some are occasionally found that, although sold at a high price, 

 are not worth the cost of applying them. No one can make a ration;il 

 use of fertilizers until he understands both the requirements of his soil 

 and crops, and the analysis and action of the fertilizer which he uses. 



The crops of the horticulturist are attacked at various periods of 

 their growtii by innumerable species of insects, some of which I'egiu 

 their attack before the plants are out of the ground, while others keep 

 up the attack throughout the life of the plant, and in some instances it 

 is continued even after the crop is harvested. Against nearly all of them 

 we have remedies that are fairly effective, but, in oi-der that a proper 

 selection may be made, every horticulturist should be informed regarding 

 the habits of at least the more common kinds, and their methods of 



