Sauk County Horticultural Society. 263 



ject of the papers read and discussion. Also for reading of se- 

 lections relating to them. This has met with special favor. At 

 these meetings interesting reports have been made by local ob- 

 servers. 



Among the papers read at these meetings were Keeping Fruit, 

 by Charles Hirschinger, of Freedom; Experience of a Novice in 

 Fruit Growing, J. Hawes, Baraboo ; Everlasting Flowers, Wm. 

 Toole, Excelsior ; A short paper on the Aesthetic side of Horti- 

 culture, by Mrs. F. Holy ; Roses and their Culture, by Mrs. Lucy 

 Case; Culture of Watermelons, by George W. Thayer. Fairfield; 

 Adaptations, by James Stone, Reedsburg ; A Poem on Perla- 

 goniums, by J. W. Wood. 



The society is in a good financial condition, and its prospects 

 for usefulness the coming year are very promising. The annual 

 membership fee is ninety-five cents, which secures season tickets 

 to fairs of the society and also reports of the State Society. 



Mrs. R. H. Strong, Secretary. 



THE PELARGONIUM. 



J. W. Wood, Baraboo. Read before the Sank County Horticultural Society. 



When idle poets rise to sing 



The floral beauties of the spring, 



They tune their throats o'er humble flowers 



Which bloom in Nature's woodland bowers. 



Perhaps some little primrose bright, 

 Or, heart's-ease struggling into light, 

 Will fill their souls with raptures fine, 

 And song will flow in strains divine. 



A loftier theme commands my pen 

 Than primrose, pink or cyclamen, 

 Or any woodland nymph that blows 

 'Neath sunny banks or Alpine snows. 



I sirjg of Pelargoniums, 



Less learnedly, Geraniums, 



A famous name which should inspire 



E'en dullards with poetic fire. 



These learned names, to put it plaiD, 

 Which rendered, mean but Stork and Crane, 



