SOCIETY OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 299 



stead of mutilating her. But remember that the garden which our 

 hearts really love is no vast space in which the vision is utterly lost, 

 but rather that limited enclosure wiiich retains the soul half captive. 

 Here we may have iiowers in j)rofusion, or not, according to space 

 and inclination. Here we may study the' life of plants, carefully 

 note the germination and developn>ent of seeds, and, in a short time, 

 reap a harvest of bloom; but not without lal)or and watchfulness. 

 He who cultivates the soil must maintain against the weeds a con- 

 stant warfare. I sometimes think that the iveeds are immortal, but 

 the flowers are not. 



Then the garden and lawn can be made to resemble a jeweled 

 parterre, rich with flowers and leaves of unnumbered dyes, so exquis- 

 itively mingled, so perfectly arranged that the eye never could tire 

 of gazing upon their glorious hues. Yet we never have the same 

 loic for such a garden as when we have sown the seeds and grown 

 the slips ourselves, the latter are to us as our own children, while the 

 former have the love of an adopted child. 



A growing and commendable feature of ornamentation is the 

 constantly increasing introduction of wild gardens on private grounds, 

 It is always praiseworthy to make the most of the plants of one's 

 own country, and especially those of his state or neighborhood. To 

 a farmer the value of a wild garden lies chiefly in the ease with 

 which it is cared for, and in the adajjtability to that purpose of any 

 waste or wet piece of ground. 



A wild garden is necessarily a rustic affair where vacancies and 

 irregularities do not mar its general effect. It needs little care other 

 than to keep down the more troublesome weeds, and to prevent the 

 stronger plants from crowding out the weaker ones. 



The familiarity with living objects is a great educator. If prop- 

 erly pursued one gains a power of discrimination and observation 

 from a study of plants, or birds, or insects, which he can get in no 

 other avocation. 



The selection of wild flowers for a garden is one of the very best 

 means for inducing this desirable liking for nature. Were this the 

 sole oljject, a wild garden might be nuule a source of great profit to 

 children and to home. Here we would find a home for those tender 

 nurslings of flora, the early spring flowers; here, also, should delicate 

 ferns wave like graceful plumes; here would be a suital)le i)lace for 

 those early favorites, the violets, wee modest flower, who does not 

 love it? We have seen little children rejoicing in their lovliness, and 

 old persons, ])ey()nd the allotted three score and ten, with eyes radi- 

 ant in tearful joy from ijeholdiug them once more. A mass of them 

 is beautiful, so is a little clump, and so is a solitary member of this 

 family found in some unexpected spot. 



And from the wild garden let us go a step farther, and enter the 

 forest. Man is anew enchanted by the forest to-da}'. Nothing 

 troubles the peace and silence of her woods, neither somber visions 



