28 "Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



less means but good livers in our towns are sure to supply their 

 tables from the markets; but we farmers who have plenty of land, 

 plenty of means and lots of muscle, often feed on hog and hominy, 

 when we should be eating strawberry shortcake, tomatoes and 

 cream, or apple dumplings. 



The Germans are patterns in this regard; their gardens furnish 

 one-half their living. They always have vegetables on their table, 

 and can you show me a healthier people. 



The practical gardener has some peculiarities of taste, a method 

 of speaking, and a delicacy of touch as unlike or distinct from those 

 of other people as are the manners of the old schoolmaster or the 

 physician; and there must be few students of human nature that 

 have not noticed the several peculiarities of people in the several 

 occupations. In any of these, when the tendency is toward health 

 and refinement, it should be encouraged. Then, if the tastes and 

 habits, the health and physical development, the intellectual and 

 moral culture are all conserved by horticulture, why shall not we 

 farmers be practical and blend it with our business as fully as the 

 profit and general policy of the two occupations will admit? Where 

 is the use of being a farmer unless for the benefits? To neglect nearly 

 all the advantages and still continue a farmer is to make a fool of 

 oneself. Surely it is a slo;v way to get rich; the benefit of country 

 air, country scenery, luscious fruits, and nice tender and fresh veg- 

 etables, a beautiful home, and all in the way of our business, with 

 no material outside expense, and enjoy the advantages of proper 

 surroundings where we may raise our children, are among the 

 farmer's privileges; to neglect anything that goes to complete this 

 iarmer's home, this home for our children, and still live on a farm, 

 is to make life a failure. 



At the conclusion of the reading of this paper, President Smith 

 stated that there were many cases where large farmers, who boasted 

 of their skill, the extent, the quality of the yield of their broad 

 acres, had not even an apology for a garden; whose lawns or door 

 yards were unadorned, or worse, grown up with weeds or brush. 

 As a general rule, farmers' gardens are very unsatisfactory, yield- 

 ing but little to the comfort of the family. 



Senator Arnold had noticed that as a class our farmers were of a 

 stout and robust frame, and could relish pork and potatoes day by 



