BUD VARIATIONS. 23 I 



ear in the whole field that showed some squaw corn kernels mixed in, 

 and that was the only ear in the field that ever showed a variation. 

 Thinking back of my own experience there was nothing - to indicate 

 what brought it about. I went to Prof. Hays and asked him if there 

 had been any other quality of corn raised near the north farm, near 

 this No. 13 corn. He said there had been. This corn after growing a 

 number of years, six or seven years, showed only one ear of squaw 

 corn, and that after being carried 150 miles from the place it was 

 grown. There was something there that brought about the de- 

 velopment of that quality so that it showed up distinctly in this one 

 ear, and that is the only ear that showed it. 



The President : It looks as thought we could not get any per- 

 manent fixity of type. 



BEAUTY AND UTILITY IN ORNAMENTATION ABOUT 

 THE FARM HOME. 



A. K. BUSH, DOVER. 



There was a time in the early history of this great common- 

 wealth when the pioneers struggled for an existence and a home re- 

 gardless of its surroundings. Well do I remember the 10x12 cabin 

 in which our family lived during the summer of 1856, on a tree- 

 less prairie, miles from neighbors, and a day's journey from town, 

 in southeast Minnesota. In those days no thought was given to 

 ornamentation in or about the farm home, because bread and cloth- 

 ing we must have. 



During the forty odd years since those sturdy pioneers made 

 homes in our great state, they have been prospered and have grown 

 rich in lands, money and experience. The log cabin has given place 

 to beautiful homes with all the modern conveniences ; the straw 

 stables are replaced with commodious barns, which are filled with 

 feed and feeders in large assortment and of excellent quality. The 

 farms are supplied with the best labor saving machinery ; a very 

 large proportion of our farmers drive good horses with fine har- 

 nesses and an assortment of stylish carriages — but the home grounds, 

 in most instances, are in a deplorable condition, regardless of the 

 thrifty, independent circumstances surrounding the landlords. I 

 have traveled in nearly every county in the southern half of our state 

 and must confess that our farmers are giving less attention to orna- 

 menting the home grounds, with trees, shrubs, and plants, than to 

 any other department of the farm work. However, by way of en- 

 couragement, I will say that I can see great improvement in this re- 

 spect during the past two or three years. 



Where trees are planted very little thought is given to utility 

 or arrangement in locating them so they may add beautv and 



