238 Missouri State Horticnltural Society. 



OBSEEVATIUA THE KEY TO HORTICULTUEAL 



SUCCESS. 



BY JUDGE M. B. ]S'EWMA2f, WYANDOTTE, KANSAS. 



Mr. President : 



In response to the request of your society, received through 

 secretary, I have prepared an essay on the subject of " Observation 

 as the Key to Horticultural Success. 



As it is well known to the members of this society that my 

 reputation as a practical horticulturist rests upon a very limited 

 foundation, you will not be surprised at the confession that I find 

 myself, on this occasion, to be in a somewhat similar position to 

 that of the noted Scottish parson, whose precepts were much more 

 edifying to his parishioners thaii was his example — and who used 

 to say to his flock : ''Brethren, I wad na' ha' ye do as I do, but 

 do as I tell ye.^' But as all this was fully understood when the 

 action of this society was had in the premises, I must conclude 

 that little more will be expected from me, in this essay, than the 

 introduction of a mere entering wedge to the more practical ob- 

 servations that may be expected to follow in your further discussion 

 of the subject. 



Observation, and the practical application of its best results, 

 are not only necessary to horticultural success, but are equally 

 essential to success in all the leading pursuits of life ; and especially 

 to the advancement of all real knowledge. Astronomy, geology, 

 mineralogy, chemistry, and all the kindred branches in the study of 

 nature, would unquestionably have been yet to-day involved in the 

 misty ignorance of the middle ages, had it not been for those funda- 

 mental changes in the courses of thought, and interpretations of na- 

 ture's phenomena, eifected by more penetrating observations of facts, 

 and their more careful study. Two centuries ago, by observing the 

 falling of an apple, the great intellect of Sir Isaac Newton pene- 

 trated and solved the law of gravitation, and thereby first 

 demonstrated the truth of the Copernican system of astronomy,' 

 and otherwise prepared the way for a new era in scientific progress. 

 •Since then, following in the light of that great mental luminary, 

 a thronged succession of ardent students of nature have so success- 

 fully continued observant explorations in all the fruitful fields of 

 natural science, that now clear light is shining everywhere on 



