Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 329 



To tlie great mass of people who entertain siicli an interrogation, 

 flowers may be spoken of as noxious weeds ; as plants good for nothing. 

 Then, as we begin to rise in the scale of manhood, we can begin to 

 think of framing an intelligent answer, that flowers are good for 

 pestiferous goats to eat. We, who attempt to cultivate flowers in the 

 populous city of Brooklyn, where we are sure manhood is developed 

 as far as the goat element, can positively affirm that we know flowers 

 are good for something for goats to eat. "We have frequently such 

 positive and occular proof that flowers were not formed in vain, that 

 we can say positively, loe do hiow, tha.t lowers, are good for something, 

 Advancing a step beyond this position, where sight is lost in faith, 

 we tremblingly suggest that flowers were not formed in vain, because 

 they are heautifid. There is power in beauty. Therefore, the tiniest 

 flower that blossoms in the noonday sun is a thing of power. The 

 Creator has numerous forms of power ; and the beauty that responds 

 to an educated eye from the petal of many hues, is a power that can 

 move the world. There is beauty in a crystal tear drop ; and it is 

 balanced only by a mighty " power behind the throne." There is 

 beauty in the glowing sunbeams, and who can compute the power 

 thereof? "A thing of beauty" has not improperly been called "a 

 joy forever." , 



The Color of Floweks. - 



Comparatively few persons ever think that the exquisitely rich and 

 velvety hue of our most beautiful flowers can be improved by any- 

 thing the florist is able to perform. Choice pabulum and coloring 

 matter for growing flowers is something that is seldom thought of, 

 even by many people who appropriate much time and money to 

 improve their flower gardens and to develop and perfect costly and 

 beautiful varieties. Good farmers understand that in order to raise 

 a good crop of wheat the soil must be fertilized with certain elements 

 which the wheat plant will take up and appropriate to the develop- 

 ment of the stem, leaves and grain. If the land be manured with 

 strong manure, or with a fertilizer that is composed more largely of 

 carbonaceous matter than of nitrogenous and aluminous and silicious 

 material, the product will be a heavy growth of straw and a very 

 light yield of grain. The wheat plant must be supplied with certain 

 mineral fertilizers that will develop the ears and swell out the kernels 

 of wheat, thus producing a bountiful yield of grain. If the land be 

 manured with strawy compost, or with manure which contains more 



