552 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



THE 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA. 



MARTIN C. EBEL, Managing Editor, 



Madison, N. J. 



Published by 



CHRONICLE PRESS 



M. E. MAYNARD, President. A. A. FAY, Sec'y. 



1 MONTGOMERY STREET, JERSEY CITY, N. J. 

 New York Office 



236 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK CITY. 



Subscription Price, 12 Months. $1.00 :: :: Single Copies, 10 Cents 

 Foreign, $1.30 



Entered*as second class mattei February 18, 1905, at the Post Office at 

 Jersey City, N. J., under Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. 



Published on the 15th of each month. 



Advertising forms close on the 10th preceding publication. 

 For information regarding advertising rates, etc., address Advertising 

 Department, Gardeners' Chronicle, Madison, N. J. 



ADOPTED AS THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE 

 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



President. Vice-President, Treasurer, 



WM. H. WAITE, A. J. SMITH, JAMES STUART, 



Yonkers, X. Y. Lake Geneva, Wis. Mamaroneck, N. Y. 



Secretary, MARTIX C. EBEL, Madison, X. T. 



TRUSTEES FOR 1913. 



Peter Diift", Orange, X. T.; William Kleinheinz, Ogontz. Pa.; William 

 Duckham, Madison, N. J.; Alexander MacKenzie, Glen Cove, N. Y. ; John H. 



Dodds, Wyncote, Pa. 



DIRECTORS. 



To serve until 1914— Robert Angus, Tarrytown, N. Y.; Robert Bottomley, 

 New Canaan, Conn.; Carl Schaeffer, Tuxedo Park, N. Y.; E. Wetterlow, 

 West Manchester, Mass.; T. J. Kempton, Baychester, N. Y.; E. Trethewey. 

 Tarrytown, N. Y. ; Alexander Eraser, Newport, R. I. 



To serve until 1915— John Shore, Harrison, N. Y.; Thomas Proctor, 

 Lenox, Mass.; William N. Craig, North Easton, Mass.; Frank E. Witney, 

 Fishkill, N. Y.; Robert Williamson, Greenwich, Conn.; F. Kirk, Bar 

 Harbor, Me.; James Bell, New York, N. Y. 



To serve until 1916 — Thomas W. Logan, Jenkintown, Pa.; John F. Huss, 

 Hartford, Conn.; John W. Everett. Glen Cove, N. Y.; A. Bauer, Deal 

 Beach, N. J.; John W. Jones. Pittsburgh, Pa.; -Alexander McPherson, 

 Washington, D. C. ; James C. Shield, Monticello, HI. 



Vol. XVI. 



TUXE, 1913. 



No. 8. 



"Theory versus practice" is an absorbing topic of this 

 month's issue of the Chronicle. The severe arraign- 

 ment of the attitude of the so-called e.xpert towards the 

 so-called practical gardener by one of the contributors to 

 our columns is, in part, justified; but only so far as the 

 situation is understood by the average gardener in his 

 relations with the "experts" with- whom he is most apt to 

 come in contact. So far as the really scientific men en- 

 gaged in the profession of floriculture and horticulture 

 are concerned, the attack is entirely an unwarranted one, 

 and the author, we are afraid, is simply venting an imag- 

 inary grievance which he has permitted to develop within 

 his mind because the authorities have not been disposed 

 to accept conclusions without positive demonstration on 

 his part to prove his theories regarding the control of 

 plant diseases as correct. This is borne out in the re- 

 sponse to his criticism published with the article referred 

 to- 



If !\Ir. Edwards could not. as he claims, really gain the 

 co-operation of the scientists in order that he might 

 demonstrate that his claims have merit, although this 

 does not now appear to be the case, we, as he knows, 

 have been ready for some months past to have him make 

 experiments for us, and be could rest assured that if suc- 

 cessful his achievement wuild have been widely heralded, 

 and not suppressed, ^^'e fear, however, that this is one 

 of those instances where the individual himself lands in 



the pit-fall against which he is wont loudly to contend. 

 ]\Ir. Edwards is possessed of a theory which apparently 

 he does not seem able to demonstrate as practical, thus 

 placing himself in the position of a "theoretical expert" 

 lacking practical experience, a being to which he is seri- 

 ously objecting. 



W'e cite an incident not dissimilar to the one at issue : 

 \ man, claiming that after five years of experimenting 

 he was convinced of the destructiveness caused by ants 

 working in trees, protested to us that the state and na- 

 tional departments in the service and pay of the people 

 would lend no ear to him, and were ignoring his repeated 

 requests for an investigation of his discovery. The mat- 

 ter was taken up with one of the departments, and at our 

 request a careful investigation was made by an official 

 fully informed on the subject. At the conclusion of his 

 investigation he could only advise the claimant that his 

 theory was wrong, and, what the scientists had observed 

 for many years — that the attack of the ant was not the 

 cause but the result of the dead trees examined. Thor- 

 oughly imbued with the notion that his theory was cor- 

 rect, and disappointed at being aroused out of his convic- 

 tion he replied that even in the face of what he could 

 prove the scientists would give him no credit, -\dvised 

 to continue his work until such time as he could demon- 

 strate his theory, and offered the co-operation of the state 

 department, he refused on the ground that remunerative 

 consideration should now come to him if he is to continue 

 his efforts. And so we find some of the practical men 

 just as inconsistent as the theorists. 



Reverting back to the criticism frequently made that 

 the men engaged in the various departments with which 

 the gardener comes in contact usually feel that they are 

 above the practical man engaged in the profession ; this 

 is, and is not so. We have found those in charge always 

 ready and willing to co-operate in the interest of solving 

 the problems with which Nature confronts us, ever ready 

 to advise and to learn. There is an element, however, 

 better known to the gardener than the chiefs because he 

 comes in contact with it, which is paraded as "experts," 

 which has created this false impression, and which is a 

 disgrace to our public service. It is a class that is placed 

 through its political influence which is weighed against 

 what knowledge it may possess to fit it for the perform- 

 ance of its duties, even if it cannot distinguish a currant 

 bush from a rosebush — and there are many such 

 "e.xperts." 



That such a condition is permitted to e.xist is not the 

 fault of the departments, but is due to the politicians who 

 pass on the appropriations, and who feel it incumbent 

 upon themselves to provide for their constituents. So 

 these "experts" are placed and consequently, in the rank 

 and file of many public departments men are frequently 

 found who do not maintain their positions through ability, 

 but through influence. But is it just to condemn the fit 

 for the shortcomings of the unfit? 



To those who may feel aggrieved because the scientists 

 do not always agree with them over what they may regard 

 as a discovery, let us say that a little book knowledge may 

 often enlighten them and spare much disappointment 

 later. We know 'tis sweet to dream "the world is ours !" 

 — but oh ! what a feeling when we awaken and the whole 

 world appears against us. Foolish hours — yes. and years 

 — are often spent in following up a theory which would 

 be readily dispelled by a little self-investigation at the 

 outset. 



Elsewhere in our columns another contribution appears 

 also on theory versus practice, which we commend to our 

 readers for careful study. It clearly illustrates how bene- 

 ficial they are when combined, and how useless when 

 separated from each other. 



