378 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



summer and went to school in winter, and so we must do yet, stir the 

 soil in the summer and cultivate our mental gardens in winter. The 

 season of comparative physical leisure is a real opportunity for mental 

 action, mental culture. Winter is the workingman's best season for 

 study. The mind is quicker in the crisp invigorating winter to catch 

 new ideas and put them in solid shape, to pile up knowledge by read- 

 ing, thinking- and studying for summer's use. 



Now is also the proper time to draft our plans for the incoming 

 horticultural year. In this we may be assisted by a careful review of 

 last year's operations, noting alike successes and failures with cause. 

 We may ; nay, we ought, after necessary thought and estimates in 

 winter, to determine what we will plant, where, how much, when and 

 how. And when satisfactorily planted should be put on paper for 

 actual use. Now we ought to investigate the seed question. Of whom 

 shall I procure my necessary supply of vegetable and flower seeds for 

 the spring planting just planted 1 And when satisfied in our choice of 

 seedman as most reliable for good, true, fresh seeds, it is well at once 

 to make a list of seeds wanted ready for an order. 



Questions in reference to cultivation may best be examined and 

 settled now if any improvement in our departures from last year's 

 methods are determined, the implements will claim next attention in 

 our plans and all necessary changes put on our list of wants in the way 

 of an outfit for approaching season of active operations. 



There are sound reasons, more than we have mentioned, why 

 winter should by every one of us be thus utilized. As there is a time 

 for all things — this is the time for these things. The best and only 

 time suited to such. If deferred now, it must be hurriedly done and 

 poorly done when our time is in pressing demand for other duties, and 

 we will then be all the season pushing one part of operations out of 

 joint with eftbrt to crowd in neglected work of other parts. But if 

 these matters of winter preparation are attended to, we must then be 

 able to feel a cheerful readiness for spring work with pleasant thoughts 

 of improvement over last year's operations and successes. JOT. 



