There are men charged with the duty of examining the construction of the plants, animals, and soils which are the instruments of the great orchestra. These men are called professors. Each selects one instrument and spends his life taking it apart and describing its strings and sounding boards. This process of dismemberment is called research. The place for dismemberment is called a university.

A Sand County Almanac, and Sketches Here and There (ed. Oxford University Press, USA, 1989) - ISBN: 9780195059281