170 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



After a talk on the approaching State semi-annual meeting and who 

 would go, it was, on motion, announced that the July meeting should 

 be held in Dolling park, just north of the city. 



After adjournment our president proposed a stroll about his pre- 

 mises, which was accepted and very much enjoyed. Passing the orchards, 

 vegetable, fruit and flower gardens, we were impressed with the idea 

 of good taste, skill and industry so obvious all around. We note with 

 regret a disappointment, and joke to our friend, as he was about to 

 give us a surprise. He led us proudly to his strawberries, where he had 

 well kept a row of fine new seedlings, the best of which he had left 

 carefully unpicked, to show us about a quart of fine, ripe berries on a 

 single plant; when, lo, a self-constituted committee had just been there 

 on a mission of inspection, and had tested the good qualities of the en- 

 tire crop of that prolific plant. Now, if there was a reporter with that 

 committee he ought to state freely his opinion of the merits of that new 

 and most prolific strawberry. 



Before adjournment the society unanimously voted thanks to the 

 President, his good lady, and Miss Emma, their daughter, for their hos- 

 pitality and kind efforts at always making these meetings a success and 

 so pleasant to all who attend them at their place. 



Meeting adjourned. 



ANCIENT FLO WER GARDENS. 



MISS MARY HOLSINGER. 



[Read at the Summer meeting of the Missouri State Horticultural society.] 



In the southwestern part of Asia, hundreds of years before the 

 birth of our Lord, there flourished a mighty empire known as Assyria. 

 Through six centuries of constant warfare the haughty Assyrians ex- 

 torted tributes from the surrounding nations, till in the latter part 

 of the seventh century B C, the Medes on the north and the Baby- 

 lonians on the south arose to revenge the aggressions of centuries. 

 An alliance was formed between the two determined vindictive armies. 

 They marched against the wicked capital and Nineveh was swept from 

 the face of the earth. 



Two independent kingdoms, known as Media and Babylonia, were 

 built from the ruins of Assyria, and to insure future peace and friend- 



