Abstract
Abstract Does the horticulturist have to train to be a generalist? Rightly or wrongly, the horticulture grad student is becoming more and more of a specialist. Ideally, he should have majors and minors in about 8 subjects like chemistry, physics, plant anatomy, soils, biochemistry, plant physiology, plant pathology and at least one branch of horticulture such as floriculture. This is, of course, humanly impossible. Then besides being a physiologist and a specialist in some branch of horticulture he should also be what H. B. Tukey, Sr. used to call a “plantsman.” This is again humanly impossible. So the student must compromise. In my youth we almost all minored in anatomy or morphology at Ohio State. This has fallen into disfavor so that now we find some grad students working with tissues they can’t even identify. I would also like to make a plug for the plantsman aspect of training. Can the grad student grow a flower or an apple tree? Tissue culture is great but can he or she give tender loving care to a plant in the great out of doors? Can the pomology major prune a peach tree? If the grad student can only converse about DNA or phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase, he may belong in plant physiology and not in horticulture.
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