STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 133 



them a courtesy each time I passed. As Prof. Gates said of a yel- 

 low rose iu superb bloom in his yard — "Why, Miss S., I take off 

 my hat to that rose every morning!'' We have a Rose Acacia 

 bought of Mr. Ford, the third day after we came to Minnesota in 

 1863, the roots of which are bound to live. Each spring new 

 sprouts come up and bloom profusely; some of these live through 

 the winter, others die; all the same other sprouts start, grow and 

 bloom. In Ohio I have seen the Acacia the size of a large peach 

 tree. I have a profound respect for that Pink Locust, it does the 

 best it can uoder the circumstances; if it cannot be a tree, it's 

 bound to be a shrub! 



The large blue, and the small purple Easter Iris, yellow and blue 

 and white flags, yellow, and brown day lilies, are all hardy; purple 

 or blue Tcemorocallis and Tiger lily also. The last is a nuisance, 

 each tiny seed-bulblet sprouting where it falls. 



The old-fashioned Live-for-ever grows in immense bunches 

 and has large heads of bloom. 



Gould we grow nothing else than the shrubs, vines and flowers, 

 indigenous to Minnesota, we might have lovely, tasteful yards. I 

 quite agree with Mrs. Van Cleve, that very many are worthy of 

 cultivation. The snow-berry, spirea, tree-cranberry, red alder, in- 

 digo shrub, June berry and many others are worth transplanting. 

 A June berry bush in our yard is the admiration of all who see it; 

 it is twenty-five feet in circumference and sixteen feet high, sym- 

 metrical as a lombardy poplar without its stiffness. It is beautiful 

 when in bloom, and the berries are good, if the birds allowed us 

 any. This shrub would make a beautiful hedge between the house 

 yard and garden. The choke cherry is pretty enough to adorn 

 any yard, with its glossy leaves, long spikes of fragrant white 

 blossoms, and abundant fruit ; this, the birds take — scolding as if 

 we were the intruders. The Bitter-Sweet and ampelopsis I have 

 growing freely. Baskets of spring-beauties, anemones, penste- 

 mons, columbine, moccasins, phlox, &c., &c,, I have dug up and 

 lugged home, one time or another. Lily roots, too, for which you 

 had to dig down for-ever'n-ever — especially if you had gone into 

 the brush with only a knife, and found such lovely lilies you just 

 couldn't leave them! All these make a pretty "wild garden" if one 

 has time and inclination. 



Ferns and Maiden-hair are abundant. I have walked through 

 the bracken higher than my head. These carefully taken up, with 

 all the earth that will adhere, and planted in a cool, shady place 

 where they will not have the afternoon sun, grow readily. The 



