MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 37 
have them not? Love and unselfishness are among the lessons they are 
designed to teach; let us learn these lessons. As a Society let us manifest 
that we recognize science as the handmaid of religion, and in humble imi- 
tation of the God of nature and grace ‘‘ who maketh His sun to rise on the 
evil and on the good, and sendeth His rain on the just and on the unjust,” 
let us inaugurate a plan whereby the wilderness of sin and suffering, and 
the solitary place of the criminal shall be made glad, and the desert of pov- 
erty and wretchedness shall blossom as the rose. 
C. O. VAN CLEVE. 
To the Horticultural Society of Minnesota: 
\ 
If these thoughts of mine, written in great haste and in the midst of 
onerous cares and duties, are deemed worthy of acceptance as a report of 
our committee, the Society is very welcome to them. I regret that lack of 
time put it out of my power to send anything better. I love the culture 
and study of flowers so dearly that when I attempt to write of them, I 
hardly know where to begin, and a hurried essay or report is always un- 
satisfactory to me. Very respectfully, 
C. O. VAN CLEVE. 
DISCUSSION. 
Mr. Harris confessed to being half crazy on flowers. They ought 
to be grown more, especially by farmers. When horticulture has 
its proper place, every farmer’s. house will be adorned with flowers 
and furnished with fruits. Hoped that other ladies would follow 
the example of Mrs. Van Cleve, and give us papers on the subject 
of flowers. 
Varieties for Cultivation. 
Mr. Jewell hoped Mr. Harris would name some flowers and 
shrubs for cultivation. How flowers inspire humane sentiment we 
all know, but we want the names of flowers and shrubs for this 
State. 
Mr. Harris :—That ought to be left to a committee. There are, 
however, a few that all can get. Would name for annuals Mexican 
ageratum, china asters, mignonette, petunias, larkspurs, balsams, 
antirrhinums or spapdragons. For biennials, pinks, hardy herba- 
ceous phlox, which is perfectly hardy unless on sandy soil. There 
are a hundred varieties ; they begin to bloom early in July or last 
of June, and continue till after frost. When necessary to protect 
plants, would use strawy horse manure. 
