98 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of the unknown. I get the choicest ones that money can buy. 

 They come from the leading florists of Europe. I plant the 

 seeds from these in the fall and in July of the next year have 

 cheering results. Many of these you see surpass the parent 

 flowers. I am breeding for color and size. Your own Mr. Green 

 of Fremont, one of our best florists, visited my grounds and 

 saw the phloxes. 



You know the old flowers had blossoms the size of a dime, and 

 then, wonder of wonders, the imported ones were as large 

 as a quarter. I showed some of my own to Mr. Green. He 

 took out a silver dollar and laid it on a single flower, and it could 

 not cover it. Deliberating on the matter so as to be exact he 

 said it would take just about $1.35 to cover the whole bloom. 

 So you see what a fascination there is in this search for new 

 things and when you realize how much good old Mother Nature 

 has in reserve for you then you realize you ought to be better 

 acquainted with her. 



We have now come to shrubs. Please note these leaves, some 

 as large as your hand, and then we have these delicate and 

 tiny ones. These all belong to the lilac family, of which we have 

 over fifty kinds at the York experiment station. If they have 

 no bloom, their hardiness and varied foliage would make them 

 fine additions to our home grounds. But when you add to this 

 the fact that from early spring till July they give a succession 

 of flowers, then we have something very desirable. 



Then what a family of syringas, viburnums and spireas we 

 have — almost unknown to our horticulturists and strangers al- 

 most in our state. 



Now, brothers, I am going for you, and you deserve it. Along 

 the line of fruits you have kept up with the procession. But 

 when it comes to ornamentation you are far behind. 



You say there is no call for these things. Well, what in the 

 name of goodness are you for? Why don't you make a call? 

 Are you going to let the ignorant man run your business? You 

 have a grander mission than to live for dollars and cents. Plant 

 these things yourselves. Get acquainted with them and you 

 will be fascinated. Then let your agents see them and study 

 them. Wake up the whole force and get them interested. 



