Miscellaneous. 



447 



[May, 1910. 



arranged as to promote investigation 

 except in a quite limited way. 



The science has been to a large degree 

 borrowed from the related sciences, and 

 systematic investigation in the science 

 of horticulture by horticulturists has 

 been prosecuted only sparingly. They 

 have been too busy with the practical 

 questions and often in conducting large 

 plantations on a commercial basis. In 

 their teaching and their experimental 

 work they have spread themselves over 

 too broad a field. Their work has been 

 diffuse, and there have been few who 

 have been content to confine themselves 

 to a definite field. This has necessarily 

 made much of the work superficial ; and 

 the success met with in assisting prac- 

 tical men has tended to engender a 

 certain satisfaction with that kind of 

 work, and prevented full realisation of 

 the need of more fundamental investi- 

 gation. 



Horticulture as a science has not yet 

 been organised, and the field of horti- 

 cultural investigation has not yet been 

 surveyed and mapped. Only quite 

 recently has much consideration been 

 given to the science of horticulture and 

 its upbuilding. It presents a virgin 

 field. 



The meeting of the society at St. 

 Cathrines, Ontario, was therefore a 

 noteworthy one in the prominence given 

 to this subject. In this respect it was a 

 realisation of what was expected when 

 the society was organised under its 

 present name several years ago. As a 

 mark of its interest in the subject, the 

 society rejected a proposition to change 

 its name to that of an Association of 

 Official Horticulturists ; the sentiment 

 prevailed that the body should prevail 

 the name and the character of a society 

 of science as related to horticulture. As 

 such it has a wholly unoccupied field, 

 and may become a very important 

 agency for the advancement of horti- 

 cultural science and. the reorganization 

 of horticulture in the agricultural 

 colleges and experiment stations. 



In the presidential address, Mr. W. A. 

 Taylor, of this Department, voiced the 

 great and increasing need for science in 

 horticulture. This must be developed 

 out of thorough-going research, funda- 

 mental in character and method, and 

 aimed primarily at principles and laws 

 rather than at practical rules. The need 

 of well-trained, well-poised men to con- 

 duct such work was strongly empha- 

 sized, for it was recognised, that Avith- 

 out men with the proper training and 

 the proper outlook, little real advance- 

 ment in horticultural science can be 



looked for. Men first, and then the 

 development of methods of research in 

 horticulture, were looked upon as the 

 two things most needful for horticul- 

 tural investigation. 



In a paper on the Adam's Fund in its 

 relation to Investigation in Horticulture, 

 B. W. Allen, of this Office, described the 

 work which is being done in horticulture 

 under that fund, and pointed out some 

 of the essential features of investigation. 

 The review showed that the Adams fund 

 has stimulated a considerable amount of 

 investigation in the field of horticulture, 

 and that this covers a quite wide range. 

 Of the forty-five projects in the field, 

 however, only a part are being con- 

 ducted by horticulturists, the remainder 

 being in charge of men in other depart- 

 ments. 



This illustrates the intimate relation- 

 ship between horticulture and the basic 

 sciences, and the necessity of taking 

 .account of the investigation done there 

 in determining the present status of 

 science in horticulture. The horticul- 

 turist entering the field of investigation 

 requires a quite broad view of science. 

 This familiarity must teach him the field 

 of these sciences, and in a general way 

 what has already been done. He must 

 know not only the methods and the 

 spirit of science, but he must be able to 

 think clearly in science. He must be 

 able to analyse the large practical pro- 

 blems in his subject, and resolve them 

 into their scientific aspects, so as to 

 define his investigation, get a point of 

 attack, and give the work direction. 



There is much advantage to be gained 

 from the point of view of the horti- 

 culturist, provided there is combined 

 with it a broad scientific outlook and 

 sympathy. The man with practical 

 sympathies and an understanding of the 

 conditions of the art should be in 

 position to turn out more efficient and 

 useful investigation in horticulture than 

 one whose duties take no account of 

 these considerations. 



But the horticulturists too often 

 approach their problem from the stand- 

 point of the art primarily, rather than 

 that of science, and as a result the 

 experimental work in that .field has 

 consisted quite largely of trials and 

 experiments which gave only a super- 

 ficial answer and are not conclusive or 

 permanent in character. Up to the 

 present time there has not been a very 

 widespread or well-defined sentiment 

 for research under existing conditions. 

 The horticulturists have felt the pres- 

 sure to get results of immediate practical 

 application by the shortest route. The 



