176 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We are assured the Greeks were passionately fond of flowers, «yet 

 the people who could appreciate the poems of Homer, the paintings of 

 Apelles, the sculpture of Phidias, grew leeks and onions in rows be- 

 tween their beloved violets and roses. 



The Athens of to-day is almost a modern city. Where the long 

 walls once stood a road now leads from the ancient city, lined on each 

 side with poplar trees. The fields are gay with scarlet poppies. The 

 landscape is Italian in character. But near the royal residence is an 

 elaborate garden, where the "pine rustles to the palm and a thousand 

 statues revive the dead mythology." 



Near the famous Acropolis is all that remains of the academic 

 grove of Plato. Adjacent to a thrifty farm-house are found some marble 

 columns under a cypress grove, some fragments of antique carving 

 built into a wall. But the place is restfully quiet and seems to be peace- 

 fully haunted by the thoughts of the great, the broad men who there 

 instructed the youth. In speaking of the place Chas. Dudley Warner 

 says: "What imitations of immortality do we need since the spell of 

 genius is so deathless V 



In the year 146 B. C, the degenerate Greek states fell a prey to 

 the all-absorbing Roman power. From classic Athens the rough Ro- 

 man soldiers carried home immense treasures of painting and sculp- 

 ture, the few scattered remnants of which are priceless to-day. 



Of ornamental gardening in the early Roman period we are left 

 wholly in the dark. It may be safely assumed, however, that during 

 the early period when the whole nation was engaged conquering other 

 nations, such a refining art was undeveloped. 



In later years there prevailed a stiff style of gardening, harmoniz- 

 ing well with the uncompromising Roman character, and belonging 

 especially to Rome. Pliny mentions a garden which is typical of all 

 those of his time. He describes it as decorated with figures of different 

 animals cut in box ; evergreens cut into a thousand different shapes, 

 sometimes into letters forming different names; walls and hedges of 

 cut box, and trees twisted into a variety of forms. The gardens of the 

 Quirinal in modern Rome are in the stiff style of box hedges and clipped 

 avenues so characteristic of the city. 



Another historic spot is the garden of Servilia, the mother of 

 Brutus. Here she received the devotion of the great conqueror, Julius 

 Cjcsar. Here her noble but misguided son conspired his murder. 

 Here also the devoted wife, Portia, questioned her honored husband 

 as to the mystery which he refused to reveal, fearing her weakness 

 under torture, till by the concealment of a terrible, self-inflicted wound 



