MEN IN HOliTICULTUKE. 31 



IV. 

 MEN IN HOETICULTURE. 



Since Horticulture was first known to the world as a 

 profession or science, men of every grade and standing in 

 society have been its devotees. Probably in a moral 

 point of view they hare been equal as a whole to those 

 following any other calling, but the question may be ask- 

 ed. Is this enough ? Ought not those who make a profes- 

 sion of developing the beautiful and useful in the vege- 

 table kingdom to possess higher aspirations and more 

 noble ideas than those who deal only Avith the inanimate 

 materials of the universe ? The horticulturist is placed in 

 close contact with the beautiful in nature, and he may 

 reach down toward the unfathomable depths and be assur- 

 ed that nature lias fields beyond his vision, adorned with 

 animate beings and with beauty equal to those through 

 which he has already traveled. 



When the microscope fails us, we close our labors in that 

 direction and retrace our steps, noticing the beauties of 

 the cryptogamous plants as we pass along, admiring the 

 wondrous structure of lichens and ferns, thence to the 

 more useful grasses and forage plants, up through the 

 herbaceous and shrubby, until we reach the trees, Avhere 

 standing before the giant Sequoia we are appalled at its 

 stupendous magnificence. Ought not these examples of 

 Divine Wisdom to bring out and develop the best and 



