STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. I33 



I wish to speak a word in favor of our native wild flowers. To 

 me, there are no others of so much interest; for if they lack in 

 size or brilliancy, they more than make it up in grace, simplicity 

 and adaptation to their purpose in life, the production of seed. 

 We have many that are well Avorth the attention of the horticul- 

 turist, and when intelligent efifort has been given to their devel- 

 opment, they will no doubt reward his efforts. The orchid is 

 the fashionable flower at present, and some of our native species 

 are well worth cultivation. (Demonstration of Ladies' Slipper 

 and others.) 



In all the study of plants one must work with pencil in hand, 

 as we never truly see a thing until we attempt to reproduce it. 

 You all know how true this is. Attempt to draw anything with 

 which you are most intimately accjuainted, and you will find 

 that before you can give even a rough idea of it, you will have 

 to study it again and again. It is not so hard to picture an 

 object as it is to see it. So, in the proper study of plants the 

 pupil gets a particular training in the art of seeing. 



The old time study of Botany consisted in pulling a plant 

 apart, counting its stamens, pistils, etc., and running it through 

 a gauntlet of hard names until at last a high sounding name was 

 given to the little common plant, a name which the average stu- 

 dent was never sure he was able to pronounce, and which he 

 did not understand. This part of plant study, too, is valuable, 

 but the pupil should be so far introduced to the plant, and the 

 name, that he will see that the name is but a fitting description 

 of the plant, given to it because of its peculiar structure. The 

 student cannot make much progress in this study without this 

 knowledge. The pupil should make an herbarium, and with 

 each plant a description, both verbal and by drawing, the stu- 

 dent using his own powers of observation. This description 

 should be compared with that of some well known authority, 

 thus he will have an opportunity to measure his powers of see- 

 ing and expression. (Demonstration of herbarium and draw- 

 ings.) 



]\Iost of the flowering plants may be studied without any aid 

 from the microscope in their gross details, and even some of the 

 fiowerless plants can be quite well understood with but little aid 

 from lenses. The ferns are among the plants which we should 



