WAKSAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 315 



TWO YEARS AGO AND NOW — AN ORIGINAL POEM. 



RECITED BY MRS. J. W. RICHIE, WARSAW. 



'Twas two years ago, no doubt you all remember; 



In thisvery hall, that seemed rather small, 



For the many who attended; 

 Was held the meeting, just as now, 



With the same body assembled. 



The Monte-bello ladies had dressed up the stage; 



'Till it looked much like a garden. 



And a huge cart wheel, with its oak leaves, real; 

 There were flowers of every relation, 



And there, back of them all, 



They had hung on the wall, 

 That old flag, so dear to our nation. 



You kindly gave Warsaw a place ia your midst; 



By special invitation, 

 And we came up from there, to attend your fair, 



And bring out our little collection. 

 We were treated so well. 

 That right here we must tell, 



You drove away fear and dejection. 



Professor Burrill was here from Champaign you remember, 



With his bhickboard and chalk. 



And his very plain talk. 

 Of the apple; he wonders disclosed; 



Of that fruit round and red. 



How much may be said, 

 Much more than we ever supposed. 



We saw fruits and flowers and vegetables, 



Of such very good kind. 



That we made up our mind, 

 That the Horticultural Society, 



Knew enough about farming and raising of fruit, 

 To bring them in great notoriety. 



As each speaker arose, 



We wondered what he might disclose. 

 While a man at the table, with bottles each labelled, 



Who told us of insects and pests, 

 But claimed with his bellows and compound at hand; 



A good riddance and he'd give us fair tests. 



Ah, such knowledge as we had expounded; 



It made us believe, 



That these men could achieve, 

 , With farming on such a foundation: 



Such raising of grain and all vegetable kind, 

 As would surely astonish the nation. 



It suggested to my mind a new train of thought; 



What knowledge of a farm, 



Had I— a school-marm; 

 I'll tell you if you'll give attention. 



I did'nt plow fields, nor I did'nt milk cows, 

 Of these I'll make little mention. 



