STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 407 



SO for the time being and turned their attention to the investiga- 

 tion, in the light of reason and science, of the causes of the de- 

 struction of their trees, (and it is in the power of every intelli- 

 gent horticulturist to do so,) and would give the subject apart of 

 his time and attention and make himself familiar with the con- 

 struction of a fruit tree, its variations and habits in different 

 climates, its sap walls or storage cells, where it deposits its win- 

 ter food, its air cells or stomata of the leaves and bark, how the 

 food is taken up by the roots, assimilated in the leaves, and, by 

 diffusion, sent to all parts of the tree, they would be in a condi- 

 tion to make apple growing a success in Minnesota. The fruit 

 growers of Minnesota should years ago have made themselves 

 familiar with these important subjects, which is just as essential 

 to them as anatomy is to the physician. A physician's knowl- 

 edge of the human system should be such as to enable him to 

 assist Nature in keejjing off disease, and when sickness occurs, to 

 assist her in making a cure. The learned horticulturist occu- 

 pies precisely the same position. He should know the soil and 

 location on which the fruit tree will best flourish, what varieties 

 to plant, how to prepare the soil, when and how to cultivate, 

 what application to apply to keep the trees healthy and vigor- 

 ous, and how to assist jS'ature to restore them to health, when dis- 

 eased by neglect or accident. This knowledge is simple, pleas- 

 ant, and easy to acquire. 



You ask how this knowledge is to be acquired. Buy a few 

 books on elementary chemistry and botany, and in your leisure 

 hours study them, and when you understand their contents pro- 

 cure those that are higher. Organize yourselves into societies, 

 hold monthly meetings, and oftener in the winter; have some one 

 that is well acquainted with the subject that you are interested 

 in read a paper or give a lecture, and then let discussion follow. 

 Then put in practice what you learn. Send your sons to college 

 and have them take an agricultural course. They want no Latin, 

 Greek or Hebrew. The country to-day is burdened with law- 

 yers, doctors and ministers who have taken classical courses, 

 and are on the point of starvation. 



I have aimed to point out some of the principal organs of a 

 tree, and will now show, as far as I am able, what function each 

 organ i)erforms. Take a live fruit tree at the present time; its 

 roots have been entirely inactive since the ground froze last fall. 

 Since then there has been no circulation of the sap in the tree, 

 and yet the tree, in one sense of the word, is active during each 



