SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 391 



vines and trees, and spreads before the eye flowers whose colors no painter's 

 brush can reproduce. It thus surrounds the child with models of grace and 

 beauty, teaching nature's own lesson through the eye deep down into a 

 human soul. The power of the home and the home-life is intensified and 

 strengthened, and the young life thus touched and softened by gentle and re- 

 fining influences yields more readily to the truth and to proper home train- 

 ing. By furnishing perfect models, horticulture establishes correct taste ; 

 more than that — every flower teaches its lesson of reverence and humility, 

 for nature in every form is reverent, humble and obedient. From such a 

 home, with such beautiful surroundings and refining influences, the child 

 goes forth to take his place in the world and assume the duties of citizenship. 

 Have we not a right to expect that his manhood will show a higher moral 

 culture, a purer taste and a more symmetrical character as the results of 

 such home influences ? The need of the world is not for more doctors, law- 

 yers, politicians or even for more mere workmen. There will always be 

 enough of these to meet the demand. But it needs men, honest, intelligent 

 and strong in all right-doing and thinking. Give to the child such a home- 

 life as I have described, where horticulture shall teach nature's lessons of 

 reverence, obedience and beauty, and we have a right to expect the best 

 results." 



Thus the reader will find, if he looks through this portfolio with care, that 

 it is more than a scrap-book; more than a mass of newspaper clippings. It 

 is an aggregation of facts gathered from every possible source, fresh from 

 the experiences of those who think while they work, into which is breathed 

 a goodly portion of the life of the editor. 



I desire here to acknowledge with gratitude the kindness of the editors 

 and publishers of the following periodicals, which have been furnished me 

 in exchange for the Michigan horticultural report, and upon which I have 

 drawn at will in this compilation : 



New York Tribune, Eural Canadian, Rural New Yorker, Ohio Farmer, 

 Country Gentleman, Practical Farmer, American Garden, American Grange 

 Bulletin, Indiana Farmer, Gardener's Monthly, Michigan Farmer, Green's 

 Fruit Grower, New York Sun, Philadelphia Press, Home Farm, Farmer and 

 Fruit Grower, American Rural Home, Grange Visitor, South Haven Messen- 

 ger, Industrialist, Prairie Farmer, Western Rural, Farm Journal, Our 

 Country Home, New England Homestead, College Speculum, Allegan Ga- 

 zette, Fruit Growers' Journal, Farm and Garden, Farm and Fireside, Cana- 

 dian Horticulturist, Orchard and Garden, Popular Gardening, Farm and 

 Home, Horticultural Art Journal. 



In the preparation of this portfolio, for 1886, 1 have drawn from the related 

 experience of the following experts: 



Prof. L. H. Bailey, Agricultural College, Michigan; A. S. Fuller, of the 

 American Agriculturist; W. W. Tracy, Detroit, Michigan; Prof. Wm. Tre- 

 lease, St. Louis, Missouri; John J. Thomas, of the Country Gentleman; 



