Tukey • Horticulture is a Great Green Carpet that Covers the Earth 



163 



It is because of some of these values, 

 asociated with healing, that medicine 

 turns to Horticulture. The nervous 

 tensions of modern living are eased by 

 the creative and muscular outlets of 

 gardening. The cures that have been 

 effected and the maladies that have 

 been prevented are uncounted. "Horti- 

 cultural therapy" is a branch of occu- 

 pational therapy that is developing 

 rapidly. 



On the social side, gardening is the 

 safetv value of society. Better than 

 standing armies and regimented recre- 

 ation is the outlet of the garden. One 

 may garden as little and as inexpen- 

 sivelv as he likes, or as much and as 

 extravagantlv as he likes. With the drift 

 to the cities, the country is found in the 

 backyard garden and is carried indoors 

 in house plants and window boxes. 

 When grandmother can no longer 

 tend her garden, she is found seated 



lovingly and shawl-covered in a rocking 

 chair next to the window in which are 

 growing the plants that she loved best. 

 Plants and gardens anchor societv. A 

 geranium growing in the yard signals 

 a home of warmth, permanence, and 

 hospitalitv. 



Gardening means health, stability, 

 and happiness. The 20 million Victorv 

 Gardens did more for America than 

 produce food. The support which in- 

 dustry has given to the garden move- 

 ment indicates the value it has found 

 in gardening. The appointment of 

 committees and commissions to pro- 

 mote better use of leisure time on the 

 part of both rural and village people, is 

 recognition of the trend. There must 

 be more emphasis on living and less on 

 making a living. This is the field in 

 which horticulturists could well afford 

 to spend more of their time, energy, 

 and resources. 



QUESTIONS 



1. What significance does the "Great 

 Green Carpet" have for man's sur- 

 vival? 



2. What has taken the place of "the 

 green thumb"? 



3. How is cytological knowledge used in 

 fruit breeding? 



4. What is the advantage of blossom 

 thinning? 



5. What, in brief, are Dr. Tukey's ideas 

 regarding pure and applied research? 



6. What contributions have plants made 

 to (a) art, (b) music, (c) death, (d) 

 medicine, and (e) health? 



