74 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1896. 



perplexities and cares incidental to life vexed his soul, if not forgotten, 

 they ceased to harass as he worked in his garden, or went forth into 

 the wootls and fields to enjoy the procession of flowers. Their haunts 

 were shrines too sacred to be touched with other than reverent care. 

 Rare wild flowers bloomed in his own garden, brought mostly from the 

 different parts of the State. The anemone, dogtooth violet, Dutch- 

 man's breeches, hepatica, white and purple trilliums, columbine, the 

 yellow variety of the lady's slipper, rare and delicate ferns, shy 

 orchids, gladdened the eyes of all whose souls are touched by "the 

 darlings of the woods." 



To the nature of such a lover of plant life each returning spring was 

 a new creation, awakening admiration and delight that knew no dim- 

 inution after fourscore years had passed. What would not any one 

 give to possess such a never-failing source of enjoyment? Need we 

 idly wish for it when to a considerable degree it lies in the power of al- 

 most all to have it. It must be acknowledged that it means overcom- 

 ing a certain amount of laziness perhaps, or indifference ; but the best 

 things of life do not come to us without effort. When we gain them, 

 then the reward is so great that it dwarfs any exertion made for their 

 attainment. 



It must not be forgotten that the cultivation of flowers is an unselfish 

 pursuit, for it tends to encourage friendly relations between neighbors ; 

 it tends also to create the desire to make others sharers in the results of 

 the garden. 



The purest pleasure arises from the love of nature. It makes exist- 

 ence even in hard circumstances less dreary, raising the life farther 

 from that of the animal, and nearer to that of the man, who is kin to 

 the angels. 



A lesson that horticulturists ought to teach children and their elders 

 is respect for plants. When spring comes, its charms tempt the young 

 into the fields and woods, where, with reckless disregard of the future, 

 they tear up wild plants, often exterminating species. In my own city 

 botanists refuse to reveal the haunts of wild flowers, so much destruc- 

 tion has already been done by careless ramblers. Teachers, by direct- 

 ing the attention of children to the delight that comes to all by the 

 beauty of woods and fields, where there is a profusion of wild flowers, 

 might assist in awakening an interest in the preservation of them. 



Doubtless it would have been more interesting, perhaps it might have 

 been considered more worthy of this occasion, had I brought to you de- 

 scriptions of celebrated gardens of old, or of the triumphs of landscape 

 gardening to-day. It is indeed interesting to read of a magnificent 



