100 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



sea and draw up mud, and with microscopic eyes examine it, to 

 find something which has the elements of life. But where did 

 that first thing come from ! How came it to possess this element 

 of life, with the power to grow — by a long process, and the sur- 

 vival of the fittest — into a Daniel Webster? Everything must be 

 furnished by Creative power, with those elements to be developed. 

 Whatever our theories, we cannot account for the existing organ- 

 isms without the Creative act of an Infinite, Almighty, and 

 Eternal power. 



F. L. Temple said that scientific botanists claim that a species 

 can maintain itself and has done so from the beginning. On the 

 other hand, varieties, so far as we know, cannot endure in 

 competition with original species, therefore they should not be 

 called species. 



Professor Bailey responded that seemingly Mr. Temple had 

 brought up a good point ; but it is a mere assumption that a wild 

 form, even though it be termed a species, can and will maintain 

 itself. We know that a wild bitter orange exists in Florida ; that 

 two forms of wild apples are known in Europe ; yet it is known 

 that the latter are not original species, but varieties which persist, 

 the same as species are assumed to do. 



A lady said she understood from Professor Bailey's lecture that 

 he did not distinguish creation from development. 



Professor Bailey replied, citing Dawson's belief in successive 

 points of creation ; and added that the question of ultimate origin 

 of any created thing has no necessary connection with evolution. 

 Creation and evolution are entirely distinct. " In the beginning, 

 God," is the way creation appears to his mind. 



William D. Philbrick moved a vote of thanks to Professor 

 Bailey for his able and instructive lecture, and it was unanimously 

 passed. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, March 2, 1895. 

 An adjourned meeting of the Society was holden at eleven 

 o'clock, the President, Nathaniel T. Kidder, in the chair. 



Ex-President William II. Spooner, read a circular asking 

 contributions to a Memorial to Francis Parkman, late President of 



