2i4 Stale Jlurticiilfitral Society. 



result of a crack and the sun overheating the sap. But it is a body 

 blight and differs from the sun scald. To prevent these troubles head 

 the tree low, not over eighteen inches from the ground if the trees, come 

 out there. This body blight is something that we cannot prevent. It 

 generallv occurs to trees headed his:h. 



Mr. Engle. — How do you keep the limbs from the ground? 



Secy. Goodman. — You don't want them off the ground. Let them 

 go without cultivation under these limbs. They have the very best 

 of care. 



]\Jr. Gilkeson. — Cultivate with Clark's extension harrow. 



Mr. Todd. — Cultivate with the harrow before loaded with fruit. 



Pres. Robnett. — Cut the limb if it tends toward the ground and that 

 will tend to turn the limb up. 



WEDNESDAY— JUNE 3, 8 P. M. 



President Robnett called the session to order and the following 

 papers made the program of the evening : 



THE RELATION OF BIOLOGY TO HORTICULTURE. 



(Prof. B. L. Seawell, Warrensburg, Mo.) 

 The term biology may be used to signify a scientific study of living 

 organisms. The term horticulture, while it originally was used to mean 

 the practical care of a garden, has, in recent times, come to signify the 

 scientific study and practical culture of all plants which bear what are 

 known commercially as fruits. He who would circumscribe his study 

 and practice of horticulture by the iron paling of custom house defini- 

 tion, can engage in the culture of strawberries whose botanical fruits are 

 as dry as those of the dandelion, but if he cultivates Pondorsa tomatoes, 

 whose fruits at least are as luscious as dried prunes, then he falls to the 

 level of a vegetable garden, or, if he grows wheat, whose golden fields 

 of ripened fruits are richer than pomegranates and figs, he rises to the 

 lofty dignity of an agriculturist. 



Biology has no boundaries within the limits of the kingdoms of 

 animals and plants. The universal biologist, if such a scholar could exist, 

 would take the same keen interest in the subjects for study of the 

 vegetable gardener as of the horticulturist; of the chicken raiser as of 

 the fine stock breeder ; and of the plain "hayseed" as of the agriculturist. 

 Biology bears about the same relation to horticulture as North Amer- 

 ica does to Missouri, or as an elephant does to his liver. An elephant's 



