218 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



time for farmers to stock their farms with animals of high merit, 

 for at one time or another they have been available at prices seem- 

 ingly within the reach of any farmer; yet it is surprising how few 

 embraced the opportunity. There has been greater improvement 

 in swine, poultry and sheep, in the order named, throughout this 

 section, than in horses and cattle. It is not uncommon to see a 

 herd of smooth, even-bred hogs, or a flock of poultry, uniform in 

 color and breeding. But among our cattle, with but few exceptions, 

 and especially our dairy herds, every color and size may be seen. 

 And now that beef cattle are coming into repute, some would fain 

 persuade us that a Jersey steer is as good for beef as a Short-horn 

 and would have us waste our time, energy and feed, and then destroy 

 our powers of mastication and regard with distrust everything thait 

 comes from the butcher's block. The facts are, good feeding steers 

 cannot be secured from home producers. 



And finally, amid all this struggle and turmoil, farmers have 

 stemmed the tide and lived through it all; and, to the best of our 

 knowledge, none have passed from this great stage of action through 

 the agency of want or privation. And the well-to-do enjoy con- 

 veniences and advantages unknown to some of us when young. 

 Carpets cover the floors, pictures hang upon the walls, musical in- 

 struments supplant the spinning wheel and knitting needles. And 

 we rejoice that such great changes have, and still continue to come. 

 There is no class of people deserve more of the good things of this 

 life than do the farmers. There is much to be deplored; many 

 things that need correction; but it requires the dark to add lustre 

 to the bright side of life. And, after all, this world is not such a 

 bad place to be, and some of us will undergo a very radical change 

 of mind, if we leave it a moment sooner than we can help. 



FLORI-CULTURE AS A PROFESSION. 



By EDWIN L0N8DALK, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Floriculture is a branch of horticulture, and horticulture is a 

 branch of agriculture, and agriculture is the foundation of all in- 

 dustries. 



It is somewhat difficult to determine just where horticulture be- 

 gins and agriculture ends, so closely are their interests interwoven. 

 The farmer is more or less interested in horticulture, and the gar- 



