No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 341 



whicli may not from its beauty, pt'ituiiK', and classical association, 

 be the soui'ce of sublime thoughts and feelings, especially in the 

 world of poetry and art. 



The earliest flower in our part of the country is probably the snow- 

 droj) that certainly ha« a tendency to awaken a new spirit of en- 

 thusiasm in I he hearts of humanity after the weariness of a black 

 dreary, desolate winter scene is past. They are the forerunners of 

 spring and remind us of the fact that another leaf in life's history has 

 been turned and a new one begun. Aw imagination fancies a saint to 

 shine in heaven, so memory pictures the snow-drop shining through 

 that white sheet which decks the earth during its course of blossom- 

 ing. 



There are so many early flowers that it matters very little which 

 one we take into consideration. During early spring the air is al- 

 ready scented with perfume which is carried hj gentle zephyrs from 

 one place to the other over the renovated tields and these mortal 

 frames of ours. 



When looking upon the lily even by its color we are led to enter- 

 tain the thought that it is an indication of purity like the snow and 

 we can not help but refer to the passage in the bible: "Consider the 

 lilies of the tield hovv^ they grow. They toil not neither do they spin; 

 and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 

 like one of these." Of the forget-me-not let us merely make men- 

 tion and let it tell its own story. 



Let us not miss the lady rose. In the poetic world the rose stands 

 first. The reason for this is unknown unless it is owing to its ex- 

 quisite combination of form, color and perfume which has entitled 

 this queen of flowers to be classed with the nightingale in one 

 country, in another country to be chosen, with the distinction of red 

 and white, as the emblem of two honorable and royal houses. Al- 

 though the rose has such a prominent position in the yard and re- 

 ceives so much care; there is a flower blooming by the roadside dur- 

 ing the whole summer, which needs no cultivation yet smells as sw^eet 

 if not sweeter. This is often the source of pleasure to weary travel- 

 ers stopping by the wayside to take a rest. This beautiful flower is 

 the wild rose in all its glory ornamenting the street where it has to 

 stand alone with nothing to modify its beauty. 



It is a peculiar fact that culture destroys the scent of flowers. The 

 more highly cultivated a flower becomes the fainter the odor. Flow- 

 ers are cultivated more for fragrance than beauty and since cultiva- 

 tion spoils the scent, cultivation is of some disadvantage. Pope's 

 lines contains some truths: "^^If vain our toils, we ought to blame the 

 culture not the soil." In order to have blooming flov>'er stalks the 

 year round, we ought to make a selection of flowers for the differ- 

 ent seasons. Spring is the season for tulips, crocus, hyacinth, ane- 



