34 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1900. 



atones for the elements of imperfection, and that is that there 

 are glorious possibilities in the flower. They tell us that the 

 weed is an undeveloped flower. This is believed to be true, 

 generally, but when the flower is given to us, in that flower, as 

 we pick it by the wayside, there are certain appeals which it 

 makes to our nature. It tells us that in it are possibilities of 

 development and beauty which the heart of man has not as yet 

 conceived, and it pleads that we give to it our thought, our care, 

 our effort, our time, that we may open up out of the heart of 

 the flower, the latent possibilities of excellence that are hidden 

 away in its leaf. By that means only can we get the best out of 

 anything we find in the world of nature around us. And for 

 that reason, the very best advertisement that a man or woman 

 can make of the quality of their virtues is to be found in a well- 

 cultivated flower-garden. I believe no cemetery has ever had 

 engraved upon its tombstones a testimony to the worth and 

 excellence of man or woman so legible and beautiful as that 

 which you will find in a well-ordered flower-garden surrounding 

 the houses and homes of men and women. There is nothing 

 better, because it shows that the person is living in harmony 

 with the laws of progress that govern all the world of good with 

 which we have anything to do. I hold that any person who 

 distributes beauty with an open hand and scatters abroad, 

 wherever he goes, the elements of artistic and aesthetic life, is a 

 national benefactor. He is not only improving his own life, but 

 he is doing good to all the people who come in contact with him, 

 whenever their eyes rest for even a minute or two upon a gar- 

 den as they drive by upon the road. I am quite sure of one 

 thing, and that is, that there is scarcely any work that you can 

 do (that does not bring you into immediate contact with men 

 and women) half so good as that of keeping a well-ordered 

 garden in front of your house. 



Now, I am sure, ladies and gentlemen, and I am sure our 

 moderator will agree with me, that we do not have life enough 

 of made-beauty in this world, especially in America. We have 

 plenty of natural beauty, but we need more of made-beauty. I 

 have travelled in many lands, and I think for grandeur, for 



