160 



"juvenile condition" root more readily 

 than do so-called "adult plants." In 

 the apple, cuttings taken from plants 

 no older than two \ cars from seed may 

 be rooted easih', but with difficulty 

 thereafter. 



A number of plant regulators, such 

 as indolcbutyric acid, have been found 

 helpful in the rooting of cuttings. I low- 

 ever, the general effect has been more 

 to speed up the process of rooting than 

 to induce new roots to form. 



Since many horticultural crops re- 

 quire intensive culture with much hand 

 labor for the control of weeds, research 

 on chemical control of weeds has had 

 success. The most spectacular results 

 have followed the use of plant regula- 

 tors, such as 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic 

 acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxvacetic 

 acid. These materials have proved se- 

 lective in action. 2,4-dichlorophenoxy- 

 acetic acid has proved valuable in 

 controlling broad-leaved weeds in 

 strawberry beds, the strawberry' being 

 resistant to the chemical. Isoprophyl- 

 phenylcarbamate is helpful for control 

 of chickweed, and EIM for pre-emer- 

 gence treatments. Another interesting 

 possibility is the destruction of straw- 

 berry runners by chemical means, thus 

 permitting retention of the old bed 

 for longer periods of high produc- 

 tivit}'. 



The nature of horticultural research. 

 —And finally, a word about the pat- 

 tern of research. Research is the critical 

 search for knowledge. The word is 

 often used to imply only professional 

 or high-level scientific activity. One 

 sometimes hears the expression "pure 

 research" as though there were a form 

 of research which is impure. The terms 

 "fundamental" and "basic" are em- 

 ployed often with the connotation of 

 superiority. Yet, fundamental research 

 is simply research which is fundamental 

 to something else, as trees are funda- 

 mental to lumber and lumber is fun- 

 damental to carpentry. What is funda- 



HORTICULTURE 



mental research of today is the applied 

 research of tonrorrow only to be re- 

 placed in turn by something else fun- 

 damental. 



It would seem that the real test of 

 research is its quality. A fruit grower, 

 vegetable grower, seedsman or florist 

 who is diligently and self-critically 

 seeking information is a useful research 

 worker. There is no reason to exclude 

 anyone from the field; in fact, the 

 more inclusive the term can be made, 

 the better. Some of the most worth- 

 while leads and suggestions have come 

 from the careful study and observations 

 of amateurs. In the final test there are 

 but two kinds of research— good re- 

 search and bad research- the product 

 of the long hard road requiring much 

 time, or the easier and shorter road of 

 mere superficial and often misleading 

 observation. 



Of course the emphasis in the pro- 

 gram of research may varv. There may 

 be the emphasis on solving the little 

 problem that arises day by dav— what 

 we call "trouble-shooting," and there 

 may be the more carefullv considered 

 development type of research. Also 

 there may be the closely directed re- 

 search and there may be disinterested 

 research, of which patience and free 

 time are the essence. 



Generally speaking, the horticul- 

 tural industry' is well aware of the value 

 of research. But it is becoming increas- 

 ingly aware of the dividends of the 

 long range not closely directed type of 

 research. More and more a publicly 

 supported research laboraton' may be 

 asked to spend less of its time and 

 energy on so-called "practical" prob- 

 lems, and be left to spend the larger 

 percentage on the "cast-\our-bread- 

 upon-the-waters" t}pe. No reflection is 

 meant upon the abilities of highly 

 trained research workers, but much of 

 the developmental research can be car- 

 ried on even better by advisers and 

 practical men in industry. 



