ANNUAL WINTER MEETING. 125 



Prof. C. W. Hall: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, — So far as I have 

 been able to read history — natural history — I find that roses have 

 bloomed and weather has prevailed since man came into the world. The 

 roses have been as sweet and they have been enjoyed as much in the past 

 as they are at the present time, and that is very much. 



Roses exist to-day in the hottest climes of the world and in the coldest. 

 The Finlander will wrap his robes about him and drive after the har- 

 nessed reindeer and will gather roses as he goes. The Abyssinian will sit 

 beneath the shade, and will wave the palm leaf and a bamboo over his 

 dusky mate as they enjoy the fragrance and the beauty of the rose. The 

 rose exists — it grows, it flourishes— in Minnesota. The rose is the queen 

 of flowers, and we have queens in society — queens of flowers and queens of 

 society, and they are both natural. They occur because there is a place 

 for them. These roses and these queens are all about us, and we enjoy 

 them, we encourage their existence and development. We engage in 

 every pastime, in every labor, yes, in every hardship, to secure them. 



There is a story told of good St. Elizabeth, which I will relate to you. 

 As she was traveling through the world, she was engaged in giving gifts 

 to the poor. She would gather her apron full, sometimes of flowers, and 

 start out and give them to the worthy poor. As she was passing along 

 one day the king met her, and demanded to know what she had in her 

 apron. She told him sportively, roses. He sternly demanded to see 

 them, and she resisted as long as she could pleasantly, but he was obdu- 

 rate. He insisted upon seeing them, so she threw open her apron, and, so, 

 an apronf ul of roses rolled out. (Applause.) So, let us hope that here in 

 Minnesqta, with its stern, unrelenting weathier, that there may be poured 

 out to us in wonderful profusion and excellent variety, the queen of 

 flowers, — the rose. (Applause.) 



President Underwood : "ii^loriculture in England" is a subject 

 upon which I shall ask Prof. George E. McLean to speak. 



Prof. McLean: I am quite intimidated when asked to speak upon this 

 subject of flowers, when I consider all the flowers of speech which have 

 been distributed here to-night by the worthy president and the many 

 colleagues who have preceded me, and especially am I intimidated to 

 speak upon a subject after the regal handling of the queen of flowers by 

 the "flower of queens." (Applause.) Nevertheless, I count myself quite 

 happy that I am permitted to speak upon the subject in a city which 

 promises to be the one in which the first national rose fete shall be held, 

 a city which, certainly, will then be superior to all others as the flower 

 (flour) city. (Laughter.) 



I know something of horticulture in England, beginning with the hub 

 of England, London. I will not allude to the horticultural gardens, to 

 the spots given in that magnificent city for this purpose, nor to the exhi- 

 bits held in the magnificent crystal palace, but I will speak of a few 

 points which may be somewhat unknown to us here. 



First of all, of London, of smoky, foggy, dreary old London. One is 

 surprised to find that the streets are full of flowers, literally filled with 

 flowers, scattered in the midst of all the busy traflflc. There are hand- 

 carts with potted plants, there are barrows with blooming flowers, there 

 are boys and girls with bouquets to sell, and you cannot, day or night, 

 winter or summer, pass through London without meeting with the scents 



