224 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



and are further lost in wonder ; and, unless we are hope- 

 lessly sceptical, we cannot fail to see in their formation, 

 their life, their growth, the directing hand of a Supreme 

 Being. The mind may be fully occupied with this delight- 

 ful study, while the eye rests on the plants, or the hand is 

 engaged in caring for them, but no mental strain is ever 

 experienced ; on the contrary, a mind torn and racked with 

 the troublesome, burdensome, exciting cares of every day 

 business, may be brought to a condition of sweet repose, 

 and be recuperated, and a mind, perhaps, for lack of oc- 

 cupation, almost dormant, to an extent injurious even to 

 bodily health, may be thus wakened up, and again become 

 quietly active, and bodily health be restored or invigorated. 

 Many lovers of plants are deterred from attempting their 

 house culture, because of the idea that they are very trouble- 

 some to handle, and, that, without a greenhouse, their win- 

 ter culture need not be attempted. Such, however, is not the 

 case. I have myself grown many kinds of them, and have 

 frequently seen them growing in the living room, in as 

 healthy and luxuriant a condition, as I ever produced them 

 under the most favorable conditions in the greenhouse, and 

 that, notwithstanding the fact, that living rooms are gen- 

 erally heated with the ordinary coal or wood stove, or hot- 

 air furnace, and therefore, the atmosphere is usually very 

 dry. I do not pretend to say that all kinds of plants will 

 succeed as well in the house as they may in the greenhouse. 

 We have several great evils to contend with, which are 

 seldom, if ever, present to any extent in the greenhouse. In 

 the house, especially in winter, the atmosphere is usually ex- 

 cessively dry, the temperature very variable, either too high 

 or too low, and more or less dust, be the good house-wife 

 ever so careful, will accumulate. All of these evils, to say 

 nothing of defective light, are productive of weakened vi- 

 tality, and consequent attacks of insects and disease. But 

 common sense and experience come to our assistance. We 

 place our plants where they may enjoy the greatest possible 

 amount of light and sunshine, and in a room, having a mean 

 temperature as close to that best calculated to favor a 

 healthy growth of our plants as circumstances will permits 



