IN THE FRONT YARD. 17 



woven gems Avoiild last the longest, yet there was only 

 one of it, while millions of people can have carpets 

 of bloom radiant with a thousand forms emitting their 

 fragrance and displaying their loveliness. 



There was the peacock throne. A marvelous col- 

 lection of jewels — fashioned into the form of that re- 

 splendent bird. It was worth thirty millions of dol- 

 lars. It was a most magnificent bouquet of splendor; 

 yet today the poor man or woman on intimate terms 

 with earth and nature can have collections of forms, 

 tints and colorings which might vie in appearance even 

 with this masterpiece of human skill. 



Let some Emperor have his "Great Mogul" or "Or- 

 loff Diamond." But a hundred thousand people can 

 have their great, splendid Festiva Maximas and La 

 Tulipes — gems of the floral world. Men have gone 

 mad over the discovery of rich and precious stones. 

 But there are gems of lustrous beauty among flowers — • 

 gems which do not center all their value in a single 

 object. 



I stood by the original Concord grape in that his- 

 toric town and said : ''You grand Old Mother ! You 

 know not the trainload after trainload of fruit and 

 plants which have gone forth from your branches, add- 

 ing millions to the nation's wealth." 



Gideon discovered a gem in the Wealthy apple. 

 What a marvel ! 'No jewel uncovered in earth's rich- 

 est mines can compare with it. Go to any of our 

 Western states and you find this fruit growing by ship 

 loads. 



