THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK. 



they might a box of cand}^ and who usually hand them over to a servant 

 to be arranged. The sensations in making such a gift are very different 

 from those where the recipient takes the keenest delight in each flower, 

 and loves to hold them in her own hand and arrange and rearrange them 

 according to her fancy. Naturally, gifts to the latter are made with fre- 

 quency, while the former rarely, if ever, receives flowers a second time. 



One of the best examples of the high ideals of horticulture is found in 

 the work of Dr. Wm. Saunders, the head of the Experimental Farms in 

 Canada. Members of our Horticultural Society may remember Dr. 

 Saunders at the conference of plant-breeders a few years ago, when he 

 presented an admirable paper on his work. The development of the 

 western portion of Canada has been made possible through Dr. Saunders' 

 skill and persistence in finding and producing plants suited to the rigorous 

 climate of that region. His greatest work belongs to the department of 

 agriculture, where by hybridization and selection he has produced a 

 variety of wheat that will ripen in ninety days from the sowing of the 

 seed, which is rapidly revolutionizing the wheat supply of the world. Dr. 

 Saunders desired that settlers in that bleak region should have comfortable 

 and attractive homes with fruits and vegetables and flowers. Practically 

 no fruits would grow there, and only a few flowers that were known to 

 practical horticulture. By planting wind breaks of the native trees of 

 the region he made it possible to have secondary borders of evergreens. 

 Under the shelter of these, garden plots were laid out in which fruits, 

 vegetables and flowers of many varieties and of the choicest quality are 

 grown, and gradually the hearts of the lonely residents of those vast 

 regions were gladdened, which added no little pleasure to the happiness 

 of mankind. 



The production of perfect flowers and fruit, while a pleasure in itself, 

 gives an added pleasure when others are allowed to share in their en- 

 joyment. We have had a beautiful example of this in the practice of 

 our late lamented vice-president, Mr. Spencer Trask. At his beautiful 

 place, " Yaddo," at Saratoga Springs, the public were invited to enjoy 

 with him the splendid results of the high art of horticulture practiced there. 



In every work in life it is well to have ideals. They set something for 

 us to strive for, and it is only by effort that the best advancement is made. 

 The standard of our ideals in horticulture will usually be the measure 

 of our achievement. 



THE ROSE AND ITS HISTORY 



By George V. Nash 



When the secretary of the American Rose Society invited me to give 

 a lecture before the society, it was with considerable hesitation that I 

 consented to do so. I did not know what phase of the subject to take 



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