Floriculture. 
493 
should not we have a yearly floral service. June, with its wealth 
of roses and flowers, or July, when the white water lily comes forth 
in its beauty and purity, would be suitable months. Each mem¬ 
ber of the congregation, and Sabbath School, should be called up¬ 
on to do a part. Let this be the children’s day if you please. Let 
us gather the poor from the alleys and street corners and open our 
pews ungrudgingly to them upon this glad day, that they may feel 
that religion, for one day in the year, is free to all. Each child can 
bring flowers, ferns, or green vines, and as they are given in, they 
can be woven into garlands, or placed upon mounds, or put into 
vases or baskets, with but little trouble. Might not this make a 
lasting impression for good upon the young mind, as the pastor di¬ 
rects the hearts of all to nature, and to Nature’s God? 
u Bring flowery to the shrine, where we kneel in prayer. 
They are Nature r s offering—their place is there! 
They speak of hope to the fainting heart, 
With a voice of promise they come and part; 
They sleep in dust through the wintry hours; 
They break forth in glory—bring flowers, bright flowers! ” 
FLORICULTURE. 
MRS. M. M. DAVIS, BARABOO. 
I cannot hope in this little paper to give you much that is in¬ 
structive, or even interesting. The subject is a hackneyed one; 
almost every periodical we take up in these modern times, contains 
something in regard to floriculture. “ Window gardening,” “ House 
Flowers in Winter,” “What Shall we Plant,” etc., have become 
every day themes, and are we not exhorted in newspaper after news¬ 
paper to make our homes attractive, not only by cheerful looks and 
words, but by every device of ornamentation and embellishment? 
Less than fifty years ago, botany was considered a very suitable study 
for young ladies, and that it was so considered, was not compli¬ 
mentary to the young ladies or to science. There has, however, 
been a great advance since that period, and some of the greatest 
scholars of the present day are engaged in investigating the mys - 
teries of plant-life. In our own country, the cultivation of plants 
