Lord Ashburton said. "We are fitting out man for the struggles of life ; we are fitting up a storehouse for the use of a .philosopher. Man goeth forth into the world, as a soldier goeth forth into a campaign. His wants are boundless, his means of carriage are small, life is short, knowledge is infinite ; what shall his pack of knowledge contain." Horticulture ought to take its place as one of the leading professions. Every man who pursues horticultural work should try to elevate himself ; by so doing he would advance this noble art. " But what shall his pack of knowledge be ?" He should, as a rule, begin at the bottom of the ladder. Study nature, watch how she provides for the growth and maturity of fruits and flowers, how some are in sunshine, some in shade, some in the bog, some on dry ground. Study the soil, habit and situation of each flower, tree, or shrub that you see. Read all the works upon horticulture you can get. Keep a book, and if you see or hear anything new, make a note of it. Have a scrap book, wherein to put items of importance cut from papers or books, for future reference.

Get Cassell, Petter& Galpin's " Popular Educator ;" there you will be able to learn, without a master, drawing and painting, designing, botany, geology, chemistry, modeling, and the use of the microscope. All of these things a gardener ought to learn. Use every spare moment you can in study ; it will be a pleasure now, and a profit in the near future.

A good plan would be, where four or more florists and gardeners could meet together, to form a debating club on botany and kindred work. It might be the means of educating one another. Ideas would be expressed which would be valuable, and I feel sure that all nurserymen and florists would give practical assistance if employees would form such clubs.

The following incident will show what it is possible to do: One day the Duke of Argyle, walking in his garden, observed a Latin copy of Newton's " Principia" lying on the grass; and thinking it had been brought from his library, called someone to carry it back to its place. Upon this, Stone (the gardener's son), then in his eighteenth year, claimed the book as his own. "Yours!" replied the Duke, "do you understand geometry, Latin and Newton ?" "I know a little of them," replied the young man. The Duke was surprised. "But how," said the Duke, "came you by all this knowledge?" Stone replied: ' 'A servant taught me ten years ago to read. Does one need to know anything more than the twenty-four letters in order to learn everything else one wishes? I first learned to read, I next learned arithmetic, then geometry; I then bought a Latin Dictionary, also a French Dictionary and learned them. And this, my Lord, is what I have done ; it seems to me that we may learn everything when we know the twenty-four letters of the alphabet." Profit by this, my fellow gardeners, and do likewise; persevere and all things are made easy.

- G. M. Stratton, Minnesota.