350 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A child's love of flowers is almost universal, especially city children, who see 

 so few green and growing things. Witness the little geranium or other plant 

 growing in a tomato-can in the window of almost any tenement house in the city. 

 And they often have better success with them than their more wealthy neighbors^ 

 I suppose on the theory that flowers grow best for those who love them. 



All the yoang leaves sang together 



With a murmurous throb and stir: 

 "We must hasten, June is coming, 



We must grow and grow for her. 

 For she loved us till her loving 



Won our secret from the sod ; 

 Till she knew each tiny blossom 



Held for souls the love of God. 



One of the best uses of flowers would be to plant them in our school-yards. 

 If Arbor day was more generally observed, it would be the better for the children. 

 Or if there were 365 Arbor days instead of one, it would have an elevating influence 

 on the children. And whatever helps the children helps the fathers and mothers. 

 If the school-yards were full of flowers and plants, all to belong to the school, to 

 study and cultivate, education would become a pleasure and not a burden. Chil- 

 dren learn to love the cultivation of what they study ; and also the study of what 

 they cultivate. Very few children thus educated would leave the farm for the 

 city. The fact is, we have been educating our children away from the farm, and 

 not to it. 



Only think, if all the school-houses in the land were set in an acre of flowers, 

 what a mighty force for the moral uplifting of the nation, for flowers and impurity 

 cannot go together. Study would be a pleasure and not a task— especially botany 

 and entomc^ogy, for bugs and flowers will often be found on the same stem — the 

 bug jolly and fat, the flower faded and wan. How much we miss in this life be- 

 cause we fail to see the beauty in the common things about us. Who that has an 

 eye for the works of nature has not admired the stately beauty of the yellow and 

 purple gerardia, the dainty blue of the wild larkspur, to say nothing of the brilliant 

 sunshine of the beautiful golden-rod that liaes our country roads. Many a long, 

 weary ride has been brightened and mide more cheerful by their presence, stand- 

 ing there in the dust and heat, saying to the passer-by : 



"Though the way may be dreary 

 And the day long and weary, 

 After all the bitter strife 

 Of this ever-changing life. 

 Rest, sweet rest." 



Many railroads are beginning the planting of flowers and shrubs along their 

 lines, notably in Pennsylvania, where some of the decorations are very elaborate. 

 How cheering and restful to the tired eyes and weary hearts of the passengers. 

 For there could be nothing more pleasant and attractive around a station-house 

 than flowers. If more railroads would adopt the plan of railway gardening, the 

 whole country would be the better for it. What a change from the dingy old sta- 

 tion-house or the average railroad. 



I come now to a part of my subject that I take up with considerable diffi- 

 dence. But as I am talking about flowers, I can but give my views. As Elihu 

 says. ' 'I can but show mine opinion." ■ 



The national flower or emblem — what shall it be, or rather which shall it be ? 

 for I believe the choice lies between the brilliant and artistic golden-rod and the 



