40 On the Campus 



in the millenia of life's past inhibits our hasty effort. 

 Here it is time that is long, and art that is short. What 

 by indefinite time has been brought to pass, that we may 

 not, in our brief years, recall. We may go forward ; the 

 way is long, and leads not to Tipperary. Still abides the 

 profound though simple dictum : " Of thorns men do not 

 gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes." 



We may by cultivation make a better thorn, but we 

 may not make it a fig-tree : we may change the bramble, 

 lead it on to all forms of bramble-hood, but never to 

 identity with the grape. The application in our efforts 

 at human culture is easy ; if we succeed we shall not hope 

 to change identity; form and expression only are sub- 

 ject to our behest. John Jones will still be Jones, but 

 he will be a cultured John; William Patterson will be 

 Patterson still, but a Patterson transformed ! 



But let us see something, if we may, of the manner in 

 which Nature has, in all the course of ages, brought our 

 plants to the condition in which we find them. Her 

 methods of culture may be at least suggestive, for that 

 ancient dame is always consistent with herself and we 

 are still her children. Whatever else is true, let us be 

 sure that Nature's methods are in general direct, and 

 right, and simple; in general slow and quiet, but per- 

 sistent. 



In our attempt to name Nature's all-compelling school, 

 we say environment. From grade to grade she leads 

 along, by varying environment. The surface of the 

 planet changes, its atmospheric relations, climatic condi- 

 tions change. Mountains rise to touch the clouds of 

 heaven, and sink again to the general level. Fertile areas 



