Reports of Local Societies. 333 



Appleton, March 15, 1879. 



The Grand Chute Horticultural Society held an exceedingly 

 pleasant meeting at D. Huntley's, on Saturday evening, March 15. 

 The president being absent, L. L. Randall presided. 



At the request of the members a new constitution had been pre- 

 pared, which was read and adopted. Several new members were 

 added to the society, most of them ladies. 



Mrs. O. Forward, of Lawrence University, read the following 

 paper, illustrating the refining and elevating influence of flowers, 

 and their superior beauty as ornaments, compared with gold, silver 

 or jewels: 



FLOWERS — THEIR INFLUENCE. 



Friends: You did not ask me to write a romance to read to you 

 to night. Something was said about a practical paper upon the 

 treatment of the Calla lily; how to coax that fair exile into such 

 forgetfulness of the balmy atmosphere and vaporous mornings of 

 tropical and semi-tropical lands, that, he will unfold a monthly mira- 

 cle of creamy blossoms in the face of a fickle Wisconsin summer; 

 but, alas! kind listeners, my poor calla took her death of cold some- 

 time after the holidays, when the fireman, not quite so tireless as 

 Phoebus Apollo, went to sleep and forgot the furnace; and my own 

 steam pipes (Alas! that " my own fireside " has gone out of fashion) 

 wailed a note or two of alarm that I did not hear, and then sank 

 far below zero. In the morning I found my pet and pride lying 

 stark and cold over the edge of the flower pot. I mournfully re- 

 moved her limp and useless members, and, although the soil in the 

 pot was frozen hard, I did not cease to hope against hope that the 

 blessed, immortal principle of life still nestled at the heart of my 

 lily bulbs. I did not hope in vain. A few weeks ago my pretty 

 lady came in for a resurrection. I had set her away in a dark, dry 

 place, only occasionally giving her a regretful side-glance, when, 

 " after many days " a slender point of green appeared cleaving the 

 dark soil. I joyfully placed her in the sunshine, and gave her 

 plenty of warm water, and most rapidly did she push up her vigor- 

 ous leaves and spread them out like broad, green banners in the. 

 sun of an eastern window, and just now, a stout bud is pointing its 

 way out of the enveloping leaf-stalk; and I shall have my first calla 

 blossom to decorate my breakfast table on all-fool's day, if my plant 



