Cornell LTniversitt, 

 Ithaca, N. Y., April 10, 1895. 



The Honor ahle Commissioner of Agriculture^ Albany : 



Sir. — Last year this station published a bulletin upon the Culti- 

 vated Poplars, with some homeopathic remarks respecting the plant- 

 ing of grounds. It was a departure in our work, although it is 

 clearly within the pnrWew of the federal law that matters of 

 ornamental gardening may receive attention from the experiment 

 stations. A full edition of the bulletin was published, but it was 

 very soon exhausted by the demands of correspondents, whilst the 

 surplus of other bulletins touching upon matters of more immedi- 

 ate economic importance, still remained upon our shelves. The 

 people are evidently interested in matters of taste. 



Every rural home is touched by any message which is designed 

 to add to the cheer and contentment of life, and with this convic- 

 tion I have prepared the following paper. I have ventured to pre- 

 scribe an allopathic treatment for the dejected conventional flower 

 bed of farmers' yards. The outlook of the paper is not wholly 

 upon the sentimental side, however, although I have endeavored to 

 treat the subject from the point of view of the amateur or flower 

 lover. Persons who sell seeds and plants — -and their number is 

 legion in w'estern New York — are commercially interested in 

 every effort which aims to extend a love of planting ; and persons 

 who buy flower seed are as much in need of advice as those who 

 buy turnip seeds. The account is submitted, therefore, for publi- 

 cation and distribution under Chapter 230, of the Laws of 1895. 



L. H. BAILEY. 



