FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
23 
Zealand. What we need is a careful, 
concise, and methodical study of this 
subject from the commercial point of 
view. Prof. Tenny will present to us 
a paper dealing with some scientific 
features connected with transportation. 
Why can we not have an equally able pa¬ 
per discussing this from a commercial 
point of view? 
CHEMISTRY. 
I have confidence in the ability of 
this Society to study and master all 
problems connected with successful 
fruit growing. Almost from its birth, 
has it taken up problems for discussion 
and study that would have been consid¬ 
ered heretical b}^ the Old School Horti¬ 
culturists. The Society has certainly 
shown its adaptability to new conditions 
as they arose. 
Chemistry, one of the oldest sciences, 
was among the first to be laid under 
tribute by the advanced horticulturist. 
At one time it was thought that all 
causes for crop failure, excepting those 
arising from climatic conditions, could 
be discovered by an analysis of the soil. 
Hence, we were taught that a chemical 
analysis of the soil would tell us exactly 
what elements w^ere lacking, and what 
elements were present in too great 
abundance. The small amount of truth 
upon which these assertions were based 
gave sufficient grounds for voluminous 
articles to be written in a most lucid 
language. Unfortunately, the most 
voluminous writers were deficient in 
scientific training, and proficient in lit¬ 
erary work. These men were unable 
to understand the restricting language 
in which the scientists had stated their 
proposition. Consequently, they budd¬ 
ed up wonderful theories and hypoth¬ 
eses, all of which had to fall because their 
major premise was only partially cor¬ 
rect. Unfortunately for the true sci¬ 
entist and the receptive reader, it is 
frequently impossible for the lay read¬ 
er to distinguish between scientific fact 
and scientific fancy. The whole struc¬ 
ture, the scientific as well as the fan¬ 
ciful, fell into disrepute. This condi¬ 
tion led to such terms as ‘‘Book Farm¬ 
ers,” “Theoretical Farmers,” “News¬ 
paper Farmers.” 
“Truth crushed to earth shall rise 
again. The eternal years of God are 
hers.” 
After clearing away the debris, the 
foundation truth stood there firm and 
immovable. We have learned not to 
trust in the flimsy paper structure that 
some still try to erect. The basic 
truths, founded in the science of chem¬ 
istry, are so much a part of our knowl¬ 
edge now that there is no horticulturist 
in my hearing but would rise in just 
indignation should any legislator intro¬ 
duce a bill looking to the abolition of 
the office of State Chemist. There are 
still many discourses written which are 
purported to be founded on facts from 
the science of chemistry. Usually, these 
discourses imperfectly veil their ad¬ 
vertising nature. In addition to ad¬ 
vertising essays, we have the pseudo- 
chemical and pseudo-horticultural es¬ 
says constantly thrust upon us. These 
are often a serious menace to our prog¬ 
ress. They usually contain a few grains 
of truth in a stack of chaff. 
PHYSICS. 
One of the most recent departures 
from the old school horticulture is the 
study of soil physics, or a study of the 
soil from the standpoint of the physi¬ 
cist. At first thought it would seem 
difficult to form any connection be- 
