STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 31 



man. May it not be true that we should find it in tlie presence or 

 the absence of this habit of mind? The savage kills his game to- 

 day and eats it to-day. He basks in the sunshine during the sum- 

 mer and shrivels with cold during the winter. If the thought of the 

 future comes to him at all it does not impel him, in any large 

 measure, to make preparation for it. The civilized man on the con- 

 trary, uses the sunshine of summer as a preparation for the storms 

 of winter. He lays up treasures for the time to come. And just in 

 that proportion in which he is faithful in doing this, just in that 

 proportion is he civilized or enlightened. Think how this habit of 

 mind ennobles men! The man of foresight is master, not only of 

 to-day, but of the time to come. Changing seasons hurt him not. 

 The winter storms fall harmless upon him. And the reason is, that 

 long ago, by his faithful foresight, he has enabled himself to neu- 

 tralize their power. 



Now surely this is one of the lessons that children need to learn. 

 The mastery of it will elevated them in the scale of being — will 

 make them be worth more in the universe of God than they other- 

 wise would be. Let them, therefore, plant and cultivate trees. A.nd 

 let them wait with a manly, yea, a god-like patience for their growth 

 and development. 



Of course the practical question will arise here, what trees to 

 plant, just how to plant them. I see that the State of Connecticut 

 by a recent act of the legislature offers a premium for the planting 

 and cultivating of the chestnut, hickory, ash, white oak, sugar maple, 

 European larch, white pine, black walnut, tulip and spruce. I do 

 not claim to be an expert in this matter, but I confess that this list 

 seems to me an admirable one. These trees are fine specimens. They 

 combine many excellencies. But of course this list is exceedingly 

 limited. My friends, Mr. Bryant, of Princeton, and Mr. Edwards, 

 of Mendota, and others, could make out a much larger list. The 

 truth is, that our defect in this State is not a lack of knowledge as 

 to what trees it were wise to plant, but it is a lack of efficient faith 

 in any planting. What we need is an awakening to the importance 

 of the subject. 



ORNAMENTATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS. 



BY SAMUEL EDWARDS, MENDOTA. 



At the commencement of a lecture by John B. Gough, he said 

 " the title announced was nothing more than a peg to hang one's 

 hat on," but he branched out much more widely from the text than 

 did President Cleveland in his last message. 



Passing nineteen-twentieths of the school-houses in this sec- 

 tion of country, do we in their surroundings, see anything to make 

 us wonder that our people are so slow to plant trees* for shelter, 

 profit or ornament? That our fruits are sent us from California 



