38 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of life. Beauty is the sensible image of the infinite. It may 

 depend on seemingly trivial things, and it is secured first of all 

 by earing for the minor details. Therefore, if our attention can 

 occasionally stoop to these little things — if our infiuence is for 

 increasing the charm of our homes and the homes of others, "we 

 are more nearly accomplishing the high aims of existence. 



• Discussion. 



President Walcott said that nothing is of more importance than 

 the improvement of cur country homes, for all we have comes 

 from them. The impressions which they make upon youthful 

 minds are especially important ; they may give a direction to the 

 thoughts of the young which will influence the whole course of 

 their future lives. 



William C. Strong had been much interested in the paper read 

 and would not consider the subject trivial, or chiefly interesting 

 to farmers. The members of the Society need to have their atten- 

 tion called to it. Some of his acquaintances have forgotten or 

 overlooked the points which the essayist has shown are not trivial. 

 He has a friend who is an enthusiast in floriculture, but his grounds 

 can only be reached by crossing two tumble-down walls and a com- 

 mon overgrown with weeds. The picture of neglected buildings, 

 grounds, and roadsides drawn by the essayist can be reproduced 

 in Newton, and his criticism of highway survej^ors will apply to 

 those of Newton. A quiet country home which the speaker saw in 

 New Hampshire charmed him ; the fences were removed and the lawn 

 cut with a scythe or lawn mower or kept short by geese, and the 

 expense of this was but trifling. He wished that instead of having 

 the whole width of a road between the sidewalks all gravel, we 

 could have a belt of grass between the sidewalks and the road- 

 way ; it would be cheaper to keep it neatl}^ cut than to hoe it up, 

 and no part of the landscape is more conspicuous to the passers- 

 by. We need to go back to the elementary principles enunciated 

 b}^ the essayist. 



F. W. Andrews agreed thoroughly with the essayist and Mr. 

 Strong. He has the grass on the sidewalks, gutters, etc., by his 

 grounds cut everj' Saturda}" and edged occasionally. He has 

 simple wire fences to keep out cattle ; a fence of some kind is neces- 

 sary to him. He sends out his men every two or three weeks to 



