100 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOOIETY. 



There are a number of climbers, of which we will only speak of 

 the Madeira. It is a rapid growing, graceful vine, with smooth dark 

 leaves and fragrant white flower, and will grow in almost any situation^ 



Lastly, we will speak of the Oxalis. It fills the place that none of 

 the other flowering bulbs do, inasmuch as it is a trailer. Plant in, 

 May and it will bloom in profusion during the summer months. 



Our closing thought in regard to flowers is, whether they come 

 from seed — very small sometimes — or whether they come from a bulb,, 

 they sweeten the air, rejoice the eye and link us with nature and inno- 

 cence. They are all beauty ; they have no vanity, but live purely to do- 

 good. Let us then study their habits and structure, for whoso caretb 

 for the flowers will much more care for Him who bestoweth them. 



Some Eeininiscences. 



U. p. Bennett, Kansas City (read at Mo. Horticultural Society meeting). 



On my incidentally remarking recently that today's meeting would 

 occur on the anniversary of my birthday, the request was made that I 

 give a short talk on that topic. The friend making the request could' 

 not have given the subject the second thought, as that would likely 

 have intimated the risk of opening the talking valve, which might in- 

 voice too many of the events of the past. 



Some birthday anniversaries are frequently celebrated with more 

 or less ceremony — with songs of joy, respect and thankfulness ; but 

 as I don'f, believe there are enough achievements of importance in my 

 career to repay you for many minutes' attention, I shall be brief. 



According to the family record, I was born in .Jefferson county, 

 Virginia, on the 19th day of May, 1814, which makes me twice torty 

 today. I have heard my parents say that I was so sickly, delicate a 

 child for some years they feared they would not be able to raise me. 

 The family moved to Ohio in 1816 ; settled in the woods in Muskingum, 

 county ; cleared out a farm, where I remained until I was 17 years of 

 age, when I left the parental roof to learn the printing business, which 

 I followed for 25 years, in Zanesville, Ohio. Moved with my parents 

 to St. Louis in 1860, where we resided during the war ; came to this 

 county in 1865. I came through on the first passenger train over the 

 Missouri Pacific that made the trip from St. Louis to Kansas City^ 

 about the last of July of that year. When I left St. Louis in the 

 morning I expected to have to stage it from Pleasant Hill to Inde- 

 pendence, but the track-layers met during the day, and several of the 

 passengers were put off between 12 and 1 o'clock that night on a plank 



