WINTER MEETING. 155 



BEDDING PLANTS. 



In selecting bedding plants, there are so many varieties one should have, that 

 here also, a choice of 12 seems difficult, but 1 will suggest eoleus in many varieties, 

 caladiums, cannas of the dwarf sorts, geraniums, abutilons, the entire family of 

 funkias, the family of Achyranthes, tuberous rooted begonias, carnations, chrysan- 

 themums, fuchsias, and the golden sunflower. In addition to these, let me suggest 

 that in every garden there should be sweet-peas, pansies, nasturtiums, heliotrope, 

 sweet alyssum, mignonette and many other varieties of annuals. The Iris family 

 should also have a place, and there should be an abundance of lilies ; in fact our 

 gardens would be sorry affairs were the bulbs lefc out, as we must have the lovely 

 gladioli, as well as the splendid collection of hardy bulbs, and cilla, the amaryills, 

 the ornithogalums, and the sacred lilies for house planting. 



Of shrubs, 1 favor many of the old-fashioned sorts. The lilac, purple and 

 white, the tree honeysuckle, the altheas, the syringas, spireas, hydrangeas, deut 

 zias, weigelias, Japan quince, sweet-pea shrub, forsythia and enow-ball. This list 

 does not include the beautiful and graceful climbing varieties, only my choice 

 among the upright, self-supporting shrubs — such as will require little care after 

 planting, and be most satisfactory to the amateur gardener. 



Oar gardens and our lives should be 

 Fall of natural harmony ; 

 All things of a doubtful mien 

 Ne'er within their borders seen. 

 Fruits and Uowers, yea, all things good 

 By human wisdom understood. 

 Should thrive and grow, until above 

 They bloom eternal, kept by love. 



FRUIT GKOWING-THE POOR MAN'S FORTE. 



BY N. F. MURRAY, OREGON, MO. 



It seems to be a law of nature for the strong to rule over the weak and the rich 

 to oppress the poor. All nations, states, towns, cities and communities have had 

 their poor, in all ages of the world. And here in our own country, where the 

 Creator has strewn rich gifts with a liberal hand, where all men are equal before 

 the law in the race for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, where the gov- 

 ernment has stretched out her fostering arm and with the hand of charity given 

 hundreds of thousands of rich fertile homes to the poor of our own and other lands, 

 and where it would seem that all who desire might, by industry and economy, own 

 at least a small home, and sit beneath their own vine and fruit-tree, we have our 

 full share of the world's poor. " For ye have the poor always with you ;" so said 

 our Saviour more than 1800 years ago ; and how to improve the condition of this 

 class and elevate it to a higher plane has been and will continue to be an inexhaust- 

 ible theme for the philantrhophist in all time to come. 



In treating the subject I have chosen for a paper on this occasion, I do not ex- 

 pect to produce a panacea for poverty. To attempt to do so would be folly, but 

 may I not hope by an earnest effort and presentation of facts to be able to cast a 

 gleam of light along the dark, shadowy pathway of the poor and unfortunate ones, 

 and revive the lingering embers of hope, ere the vital spark shall fade and die, and 

 a human soul go into eternity feeling that this world was too cold and narrow to 

 give it even a comfortable temporary dwelling place. 



