PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 269' 



do not be afraid to grant a patch of ground to your daughters and sisters 

 to grow such 'trash' upon. 



" (4) If they succeed with their flowers, depend upon it your fruit and 

 vegetable garden will come in for their share of attention. Nor will this 

 be all; taste and comfort will stop with you more often, and health will 

 reside under your roof. 



" I have waited long before writing, hoping that some one more compe- 

 tent would speak first on the 'flower question.' (5) Now I hope to hear 

 fi'om others who love flowers, that I may learn, for I feel very ignorant. 

 And you, dear, wise Club, that is growing so impatient and severe because 

 of this long letter, (6) will you not spare time occasionally to read such 

 letters and discuss such matters for our benefit ? 



" In conclusion, I would only say that I wish to exchange the accompa- 

 nying fresh seeds of stocks, pansies, Chinese pinks, snapdragons, and bar- 

 tonias, with some kind friend for any other varieties of stocks, or for any 

 of these : Asters, Japan or carnation pinks, petunias, perennial larkspurs, 

 salpiglossis, salvia, or others. To those wishing trustworthy flower-seeds— 

 those away in the ' backwoods,' as it were — I would say, send a stamp to 

 B. K. Bliss, Springfield, Mass., and get his flower-seed, catalogue, and see 

 what you can have brought right to your post-office. Do not imagine, 

 from the similarity of names, that I am interested in selling seeds for this 

 g-entleman ; but I am interested to have every one enjoy the pure pleasure 

 of flower culture, and I have found seeds from this source trustworthy ; and, 

 more than that, the smallest orders are filled immediately. Any one who 

 will be kind enough to exchange seeds with me may give them to Uncle 

 Sam's mail." 



After some discussion by various members : 



1. The opinion of the Club is unanimous upon this point, that grape vines 

 cannot remain healthy in any climate if the roots penetrate into a subsoil 

 filled with water ; and in a region as cold as the one described in this let- 

 ter, the roots will be frozen in ice in winter, and stand in stagnated water 

 in summer. In such a place it is surprising that any fruit can be obtained. 

 If the clay soil was under-drained, or if the vines were planted upon hill- 

 sides, or upon sandy soil, there is no doubt but grapes can be gi'own upon 

 the west side of Lake Michigan as well as upon the shores of Lake Erie. 



2. Here is a lesson in flower cultivation, that others will do well to ob- 

 serve. Transplanting often improves the blossoms. Her address, too, to 

 those who soil their own fingers to grow their own flowers, is sweetly 

 fi-agrant. It is the opinion of this club that it will make many a leaf 

 greener and many a flower brighter. 



3. So would we. There is no one thing that will tend more to form a 

 lovely character, in a country girl, than a love of flowers. With it the love 

 of everything that is beautiful grows with her growth. May they all be in- 

 cited to it by reading this flowery letter. 



4. We pray every farmer to read and consider well this truth. Just as 

 much truth as though he read it in a holy book. 



5. So do we, not that we think the writer so "very ignorant," but the ex- 



