TRANSACTIONS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NORTHERN ILL. 331 



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in them the smile of the All Father, who delights, through such beautiful 

 emblems, to exhibit to us His love and beneficence. Flowers ! without 

 them how dreary the earth would seem ! They are scattered everywhere 

 along our path, to cheer us and lead our thoughts to the great Master 

 Artist, who has fashioned and painted them so perfectly. I pity the man 

 or woman wlio can look upon such things without an uplifting of the 

 heart. Their influence is refining wherever felt. But as we often over- 

 look or trample upon them, so in life we are too apt to overlook or fail to 

 properly regard the many blessings strewn along our pathway, looking to 

 the sterner, harder things — the thorns that wound us and make us uncom- 

 fortable or unhappy. This is all wrong. Let us appreciate and enjoy 

 the blessings of life, with hearts overflowing with love to the great Crea- 

 tor and Dispenser of all. 



The flowers of earth are faint but beautiful emblems of the flowers 

 that bloom in the fields beyond, in that realm where the sun never sets 

 and the day never ends. 



I say to Dr. Ennis, who represents that State whose men are live 

 men, and who contribute so largely to advance the interests of horticul- 

 ture, that I thank him for his beautiful gift. 



Dr. Ennis was asked if the flowers in the collection can be grown in 

 a sitting-room, and how ? 

 He responded : 



The camellia, in the centre of the stand, is a native of China. It 

 stands, as it always has, as the most beautiful flower in the world ; it does 

 not succeed well as a window plant, unless under special treatment.* The 

 carnations and the primroses, which surround the camellias in the collec- 

 tion, are of easy cultivation, and bloom continually through the winter. 

 Winter-blooming plants in a room add very much to the cheerful 

 appearance of the home. The influence of flowers is felt by all the 

 inmates, softening and refining, tending to make rude boys more gentle; 

 and even rough men have their roughness toned down by the contempla- 

 tion of these home beauties, while the pleasure which the frugal housewife 

 takes in the care of these beautiful pets far outmeasures the labor and pains 

 bestowed upon them. 



Mr. President, these flowers are presented as a simple expression of 

 our love for you, as individuals, and esteem for this Society. In Iowa 

 we look upon this Society with grateful feelings. All over our State we 

 see the work of the hand of an Edwards and a Douglas. I am prepared 

 to say to-day, that for the delicious fruits, the l)eautifiil flowers and trees 

 flourishing within our State, we are indebted to the work and influence of 

 this Society more than to any other source. 



You are, here in Illinois, establishing horticulture upon a true, scientific 

 basis, and it is to-day a more exact science than that of the profession 

 which I have so long represented. 



*For full descriptions and modes of cultivation of camellias, carnations, primroses, 

 etc., see Vol. 8 of these Reports, pp. 207-212. — Editor. 



