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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX No. 1265 



Memlbersliip in local and national organiza- 

 tions of gardeners or horticulturists is 

 stimulating, if not essential. 



And finally, one should have a hobby — 

 one or more. Nothing is more narrowing 

 than exclnsive attention to one life-interest ; 

 nothing is more fatal to the best accom- 

 plishment; nothing so dwarfs one's soul. 

 Years ago President Eliot, of Harvard Uni- 

 versity, tersely defined a liberal education 

 as, "Everything of something and some- 

 thing of everything. ' ' The latter is almost, 

 if not quite, as important as the former. 

 Be horticulturists, or gardeners, or teachers 

 of horticulture, but do not be merely hor- 

 ticulturists or teachers. Never lose sight 

 of the fact that you are women first, horti- 

 culturists second, and that the largest suc- 

 cess in one's lifework is quite as much a 

 matter of breadth as of depth, of character 

 as skill. 



The second and last distinction I wish to 

 emphasize between a trade and a profession 

 is the personal attitude toward one 's work. 

 Why did you attend a school of horticul- 

 ture ? Why did you ever think you wanted 

 to make some phase of gardening your life 

 work ? Do you think so now, after you have 

 had a taste of it, or do you feel that you 

 might, after all, be happier in some other 

 occupation? These are vital questions; on 

 the answers you can give to them depend 

 your success or failure, if you persist in fol- 

 lowing the occupation for which you have 

 been fitting yourself in this institution. 



There is an occupation of gardening; 

 there is a profession of horticulture. As I 

 have stated above, in practise horticulture 

 is an art ; in theory it is an applied science, 

 having a body of literature of its own, 

 raised in its pursuit above the trammels of 

 empiricism, yielding contributions to its 

 own progress from within. Of all this you 

 should aspire to be a part, not only making 

 yourselves familiar with the literature, but 



contributing thereto ; not only basing your 

 own practise on wide knowledge of funda- 

 mentals, instead of on rule of thumb, but 

 seeking to ascertain for yourselves new 

 principles, or new applications of old prin- 

 ciples ; not only keeping abreast of progress, 

 but endeavoring to contribute sonietliing 

 substantial thereto — 'in some small degree, 

 at least, to be leaders. 



A friend of mine, a college professor, 

 spending a summer in New York City, 

 rented the furnished apartment of a teacher 

 in one of the city high schools. After he 

 had occupied the apartment for three or 

 four weeks he asked me if I knew what sub- 

 ject the high school teacher taught. I re- 

 plied that I did not, but inquired whether 

 the answer to his question might not be 

 found in the titles to the books and maga- 

 zines in the apartment. To my surprise, 

 and to his, no such incriminating evidence 

 could be found. So far as anything about 

 his home might suggest, he might have been 

 a clerk or a bookkeeper, as well as a teacher. 

 In view of what we have been saying, the 

 significance of this is self-evident. To all 

 appearances, this teacher of youth pos- 

 sessed no library of books, and subscribed 

 for no magazines bearing on his own call- 

 ing ; are we not justified in concluding that 

 his real interests were outside the pale of 

 his daily occupation and his chosen life 

 work. I was sorry for him ; I was still more 

 sorry for the pupils who were obliged to sit 

 daily under his perfunctory instruction. 



What I plead for is that you shall not 

 view the vocation of horticulture merely as 

 a means of earning a living or raising 

 plants, or the avocation of horticulture 

 merely as a means to planting your own 

 garden or decorating your own home 

 grounds. Food is good and we must have 

 it ; beauty is good and we must also have it. 

 Objects of beauty are as necessary as food 

 to right, complete living; but you can get 



