HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 153 



gratifying to its friends as they are surprising to those who at first 

 questioned the demand for such an institution and doubted the 

 necessity for its existence. The plan upon which it is based is new 

 but it has already proved its right to live and that it has met the 

 long felt want. Though its sessions are held in the winter, a sea 

 son, it must be confessed, not the best adapted to instruction in the 

 various methods of performing the different kinds of farm work, 

 yet its course is exceedingly practical; the barn, the stock, the 

 dairy, the greenhouse, the trees and the shrubbery afford conveni- 

 ent illustrations of the lessons and principles with which the stu- 

 dents are expected to familiarize themselves, though of course they 

 are not so abundant and satisfactory as summer would furnish, 

 but at that season the boys could not be spared from the farms, so 

 we cut our garment according to the cloth. 



While the outlook for the future is decidedly encouraging, still 

 "a tree is known by its fruits." If this school is to prosper in the 

 future and meet the expectations of its friends; if it is to receive 

 continued support from the State and constantly increasing patron- 

 age from those for whose special benefit it was designed, it must by 

 its fruits prove itself worthy of this support and patronage. The 

 young men whom it trains and finally sends out into all the coun- 

 ties of this great State, to carve out their fortunes by honest in- 

 dustry, must be better citizens, more intelligent thinkers, more 

 systematic planners and more determined workers for the drill 

 which they have received. They must practice better methods, 

 make fewer mistakes, get more of the sweet things of life and less 

 of the bitter than the average farmer who has never received the 

 advantages which they have enjoyed. Their superior judgment 

 should be noticeable in the location, plan, and economical con- 

 struction of houses, barns, and out-buildings, in the planting of 

 shade and ornamental trees, wind breaks and orchards, in adding 

 to the joys and comforts of home by supplementing the products 

 of the field and farm with the various delicious small fruits which 

 are at home in this State, and with a well-kept garden. 



In all these various ways which I have outlined, as well as in 

 scores of others which might be named, the work of this school 

 should tell upon its students and through them upon the several 

 communities in which their lots may hereafter be cast. We are 

 apt to spread our work over too much ground. Our guns are bell 

 muzzled and by wide scattering sacrifice efficiency. 



As countries grow older and population becomes more dense 

 from very necessity, labor is concentrated on narrower areas. Men, 

 thus being obliged to cultivate less surface and therefore do it bet- 

 ter, find that the results are more satisfactory, and so from hard 

 necessity they learn what good judgment and intelligent fore- 

 thought should have told them at the outset, viz: that a little well 

 done, is better, more profitable and far more satisfactory, than an 

 attempt to cover a large area, which often proves abortive, and 

 generally ends in disappointment. One of the important lessons 

 which our school will try to enforce, is, that no more work should 

 be planned than can be thoroughly executed; that as much as pos- 



