THE FORWARD MOVEMENT IN HORTICULTURE. 425 



side the prostrate flue rose to a chimney which had a damper in it. 

 No expense of furnace or boiler. The flue absorbed the heat, so if 

 the fire went out the latent heat would serve. A cheap arrangement 

 can be made by which the monotony of a long winter can be broken 

 and the farmer can have flowers and vegetables at little cost. Dig 

 down a few feet ; have no windows on the north ; use brush or attach 

 a Russian hay stove to your plant, and there you are. 



In closing I wish to put in a plea for Women's Rights. The 

 sun never shone on a braver, nobler, more intelligent, self-sacrificing 

 race of women than those of our mighty west. They have been in 

 the advance guard as it has pushed ever westward. What long, 

 lonely and weary years she has spent in humble quarters, sometimes 

 in the house of sod or logs ! With, what infinite patience she has 

 waited and hoped for a better day ! Sometimes while about her work 

 she has seen the painted faces of the Sioux warriors flattened against 

 her windows, and she all alone with her little ones. Through what 

 fears and alarms she has passed ! But better days came ; she made 

 them come. But how at times she suffered from intense cold, from 

 loneliness, lack of company and fresh literature ! 



What has been the result? Go to our great universities, our 

 academies and colleges, and you see armies of such mothers' sons — 

 the finest material morally, intellectually and physically the world 

 has ever known, and they are fronting a momentous future now 

 waiting for them, and they will make their impress upon it. 



How these women have worked maintaining churches, Sunday 

 schools, and encouraging education, religion and morality! They 

 are uncrowned queens with influence as strong as if they wore 

 diadems. Their pure, noble, untarnished lives have been among 

 the richest assets of the nation. 



Don't grudge one of these women or any farmer's wife an acre or 

 two of the front yard while you have all the rest of the farm. Take 

 care of this woman ! She is a daughter of God. Let there be a soft 

 carpet of green for her feet, plant for her every shrub and tree 

 and flower that will grow ; from early springtime till into fall let 

 fragrant flowers rise up to bless her and worship her with their 

 sweet incense. No goddess of fable so worthy as she for all the 

 homage which nature and art can give her. Adorn the Beulah land 

 which lies on the nether shore with something of the beauty which 

 lies beyond. 



Seed Potatoes Shoui^d not Sprout. — To give a reason for taking good 

 care of seed potatoes: The first'^ sprout is always the strongest and thriftiest 

 one. If that is allowed to grow in a warm cellar or other place where seed is 

 kept and is broken off at planting time, the eye will send forth two others 

 but weaker ones. If these are broken off a third set of sprouts, still weaker, 

 will grow. Thus, instead of one or two strong healthy stalks several weak 

 ones will grow and the tubers will be small. 



