WINTER MEETING. 127 



these plants. The Othonia, Saxifraga, Dracena, are all easy of cultiva- 

 tion and can be combined daintily. 



A Dracena, with a hanging drapery in same pot of the green and 

 white stripe-leaf Tradescautia, is lovely. 



Asparagus plumosus nanus is a flae plant, easily cared for. I 

 have an asparagus tenismus draping a pier-glass ; every one admires 

 it greatly. 



A fine old gentleman recently visited us who has a beautiful villa 

 in New York, on the St. Lawrence river, and he made us very happy 

 by his intense appreciation of our flowers. He almost rhapsodized 

 over the decorative plants in the drawing-rooms, and was quite par- 

 ticular to take the names of my palms, asparagus, and one large be- 

 gonia, the "Diadima," and he said to me, "Mrs. D , you have an 



ideal home, and your flowers glorify it ; this place would be appreciated 

 on the St. Lawrence ; " which was the highest praise he could bestow. 



A refined young man, who was born and raised in a wealthy and 

 highly-cultivated St. Louis family, said of my plants: "They make 

 your home seem so home-like, and are, I think, the best possible things 

 for house decoration ; your drawing-rooms are beautiful now ; with- 

 out the flowers, they might appear common-place." 



The original cost of the plants in these rooms was not more than 

 six dollars ; care and culture has done the rest. 



This theme is one that I love and enjoy writing on, but I must not 

 forget that time is limited and space precious, therefore will close this 

 essay by saying: 



If I should ever think the shining streets of gold 

 Led not somewhere away to blooming gardens sweet, 



I'd ask that in this world I might remain, and hold 

 Fast to my heart its flowers, nor walk the golden street. 



The Work of the Experiment Station. 



L. A. Goodman, Secretary, Westport, Mo. 



When, a number of years ago, the United States government ap- 

 propriated $15,000 per year for the use of our Agricultural College, 

 for experiment purposes exclusively, we all expected to see such steps 

 taken and such plans laid for experiment work that would be of great 

 practical value to every fruit-grower, nurseryman, florist and gardener 

 in the land. We had a right to expect a certain amount of this fund 

 to be set apart for the benefit of the horticulturists of our State. We 

 had a right to expect $1000 for the green-house work, $1000 for the 

 garden and lawn, $1000 for the orchards and vineyards, and $1000 at 

 least for general expenses. 



