OUR HORTICULTURAL SCHOOL. 
IF we were to start a horticultural school 
with a three years curriculum, I would 
establish it on some famous stock farm 
for the first two years. I would gather on it 
the famous Jerseys, Short Horns, Friesian- 
Holsteins, and famous breeds of horses. I 
would require each student to give special 
attention to their care, their physical needs, 
their food and comforts. I would have them 
know the history and genealogy of each. I 
would explain the objects of, the matings 
and teach him the principles, which elimi- 
nated defects in offspring, which we find in 
parents, and the means of constantly ad- 
vancing the standard of excellence in the 
breed. After the student had thoroughly 
mastered the science of stock breeding, I 
would transfer the school to the orchard, 
the vineyard and the berry field. I would 
then impress upon him the simple fact that 
all plants are male and female, and that 
what he had learned in stock breeding ap- 
plied in all particulars to the propagating of 
trees, plants and vines; that the plant is 
conscious of its existence and truly enjoys 
congenial environments; that the same law 
that produced the slick, velvety hair on 
the animal also produced the dark green 
foliage and vigorous growth of the 
plant; that the plant responded to a 
generous supply of food, light, air and 
protection; that the breeding powers of 
an animal are maintained by the same 
laws that increased and sustained the fruit- 
ing vigor of the plant; that like produced 
like in the plant as it does in the animal 
kingdom, and that we cannot violate these 
laws with impunity in the one case any more 
than in the other. 
I would take these students to all the fairs 
and show them that the winners in the stock 
department were not bred from scrubs, but 
are the direct results of a long line of sys- 
tematic breeding, and that the premium was 
awarded them not because of their weight 
or personal perfection, but because of their 
ability to breed and even intensify these 
characteristics which made them so valuable 
in themselves. Then I would take them to 
the horticultural division and look over the 
delicious fruits and vegetables, and here I 
should be compelled to tell the student that 
it was a mere show; that, so far as advanc- 
ing horticultural interest, as now conducted 
and as the prizes were awarded, it was a dis- 
mal failure; that the specimens exhibited 
were collected by taking one here and there 
at random; and that the award was made to 
the collector who hunted them up; and 
that the tree, plant or vine which stood the 
blasts of winter and heat of summer and 
never failed to reward its owner yearly with 
an abundance of its richest fruits, was en- 
tirely ignored. The fruits should only be 
the evidence of the value of the tree or 
plant for propagating purposes, just as in 
the case of the animals. The history of the 
tree or plant, its soil and environments, the 
amount of fruit it produced and general 
good qualities and "pedigree" should be 
given, as in the case of animals. 
I would next conduct the class throughout 
the country among the nurseries and propa- 
gators, but, alas ! we should find that the 
ideal trees and plants were all ignored; 
that scions and buds were taken from the 
nursery rows indiscriminately, and that 
small fruit plants were gathered up from 
old, exhausted beds by " brokers " calling 
themselves propagators, who purchase 
these "alley plants" of large growers, send- 
ing them out cheaply because their principal 
cost consisted only in digging and packmg 
them. They are often spurious and incapa- 
ble of fruiting, and their only good quality 
is cheapness; but are they cheap to the 
grower who expends large sums for fertiliz- 
mg, preparation of his ground, rent of land, 
weeding and care which should entitle him 
to a generous reward, but instead of this, for 
want of strong fruiting power in plants, he 
reaps disappointments and discouragements 
until, after years of labor and anxiety, he 
throws up the business in disgust and pover- 
ty when if this precaution had been ooserv- 
ed he would have found himself in possess- 
ion of a lucrative business and in affluence ? 
It is indeed a serious thing to load down a 
fruit grower with plants and trees devoid of 
constitutional vigor. 
If we had searched all the descriptive 
catalogues of leading nurseries throughout 
the country and carefully scanned the col- 
umns of the public press, we appre- 
hend we should find no nursery carefully 
and skillfully propagating from these " ideal 
plants " until we bring our class back 
to our own home at Ionia, where we have 
practiced it for years with the greatest 
success. 
That the first three editions of this pam- 
phlet gave a wonderful impetus to the idea 
of improving fruiting vigor by continuous 
selection of "ideal specimens," I am lead to 
believe is true. The hundreds of warm, con- 
gratulatory letters from leading nomologists 
in all parts of the country, who have tested 
the matter thoroughly, are gratifying in the 
extreme and I am led to believe that the 
prediction I made in the introductory of the 
first edition, " That if it shall cause two ber- 
ries to grow where one grew before," has 
been fully realized. 
I cordially invite correspondence with all 
beginners as well as the veterans. An ex- 
change of ideas never fails of mutual ben- 
efits. Cordially yours, 
R. M. KELLOGG, Ionia, Mlich. 
Wotc. — Nurserymen will kindly note the fact that the 
title and couteutti uf this pamphlet are fully copy- 
rigbt«^d, and they wilt go^era themselves accordingly 
in making up th«ir catalogaea. 
