18 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



utter failure in the ornamental department, it only remains for me 

 to throw out a few hints that may possibly be of use to some few 

 who may either hear or read them. But, before proceeding fur- 

 ther, I wish, on behalf of our society, to thank you, one and all, 

 for the kind reception we have received; for the kindly words of 

 greeting that met us upon our arrival in your pleasant town. Some 

 one has said that kind words are never lost, even though forgotten. 

 To at least some of us, I am sure that your kind words and cheer- 

 ful welcome will be neither lost or forgotten, but will remain 

 with us as one of the very pleasant memories in the history of our 

 connection with the state society. It is to be hoped, at least, that 

 after our departure from among you, there will be no cause upon 

 your part to feel that your kindness and hospitality upon this occa- 

 sion have been either wasted or thrown away. 



But if I can be of no service in the ornamental department, per- 

 haps I may be of some little benefit to some few, either here or else- 

 where, by pointing out a few of what seem to me to be the causes 

 of failure of so many of our farmers in the horticultural, or what 

 might better be termed, the home department of their farms. We 

 may disguise the fact as much as we please, but a fact it still 

 remains, that a large proportion of our farmers, even those who are 

 in comfortable circumstances and are in reality good and success- 

 ful farmers in other respects, fail here, almost entirely. In the first 

 settlement of a new country almost all of the pioneers are people 

 of very limited means, and it is an absolute necessity that they 

 should devote their time almost exclusively, for a few years, to the 

 sole occupation of getting a shelter for their families and them- 

 selves, and in providing for the necessities of life; in fact, in laying 

 the foundation of a future home; and it is, in thousands of cases, 

 a foundation where one of great beauty and value might be made 

 if the proper exertions were made. In these cases no elaborate or 

 expensive system of horticultural improvement can be expected. 

 This is more excusable in such cases than in almost any others; yet 

 even here, much might be done without money, or at least, with 

 but very little of it. It requires some time and some extra labor; 

 but as a general thing our farmers in the northwest are by no 

 means indolent. Why, then, is not a beginning made even in the 

 early days of the farm? One reason is that our people value their 

 homes too lightly. They intend to sell out and go west. 



