again observe that in laying out beds in borders, in ribbon and in carpet gardening (which as yet has not appeared in our city), that flowers themselves must be followed, or the result is an abortion. It takes considerable skill as well as refined taste to make a boquet beautiful. Anyone can make it gay, but to make it beautiful beautiful "ay! there's the rub." Mercenary folks will underdo it, and uncultivated people will overdo. Only those who in heart and life are as simple, pure and quiet as flowers can do it well. No one who loves flowers can be vulgar, loud, false or mean. 3. Flowers are the gauge of civilization. Barbarians don't cultivate them. Hard, coarse, mercenary men care nothing for them; they "leave them to the women folks." I will tell you the exact state of a city by the appearance of its door-yards and the condition of the cemetery. If these are flowerless, unkempt, unclean, you have a city where the people are ignorant, selfish, or sick; it is in a state of decay, or else awaits further development. It is within the nineteenth century that trees have been planted in streets, and flowers made to adorn public parks. Now as the old world is blossoming into such beauty as it never before has known, we take our flowers to church and make them in silence preach the gospel of content; we give them to the bride as pure and white as she; we lay them on the tomb in all sorts of significant emblems to express our sorrow, and to encourage the hope of immortality. These things are not done among barbarous or uncultivated people. I need say nothing about the cheerfulness they give to the home, nor attempt to describe the desolate condition of the home where they do not shed their perfume and show their beauty. Nor need I say a word concerning their ministry to the soul, and that the Christian who affects to ignore them, rejects a very profitable means of grace which is as necessary for his spiritual life as prayer, fellowship or bible study. My object is not now to preach, and therefore I purposely refrain from saying all I might. But I will urge all to cultivate in the home and elsewhere those apparently useless plants for their greater service to the mind and soul. WAUPACA COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. We still hold our regular meetings. They are pretty well attended, and generally interesting. There is quite an interest taken in horticulture by our members. We have about fifty members. Our constitution has been changed, so that our meetings for election of officers are held in January, instead of March, as formerly; also an admission fee of twenty-five cents is charged all males who join our society. We have many discouragements, but are bound to keep trying, even if we have to fall back on the crabs. Apples we must have, and if the finer varieties "go back on us," we must put up with those less desirable. But our faith is not yet exhausted. Some of our Waupaca seedlings, at least, are still " promising," and several of them are not "bad to take." We must content ourselves with the hardy, and leave the tenderer varieties for novices, and those who never learn anything only by experience. We have had our "experience," and it is about time for us to profit by it. The day of patronizing "itinerant tree peddlers" is about over, but we must reluctantly admit that the fools are not all dead yet. Last June we held a strawberry festival at the house of Prest. Rich, in Weyauwega. It was an interesting meeting, and we were very agreeably entertained by our worthy president and his estimable lady. Some very fine strawberries were shown, Robt. Callendar, of Fremont, exhibiting the biggest, which were "whoppers," of the Crescent variety. Some members preferred the Downing, while others took kindly to the Crescent. For a late berry, friend Springer favors the Capt. Jack. The members generally prefer setting in the spring, although some, the secretary among the number, advocated setting in August or early in September. The kinds of apples most popular with our members appear to be several of our county seedlings, and Tetofsky, Duchess, Haas, Talman Sweet, St. Lawrence, Utter, Walbridge, Snow, Alexander, Fall Orange, and perhaps one or two others. Our September meeting was a failure on account of the weather, but on the last day of the fair a call meeting was held, and a few notes taken. Of course the exhibition of apples was slim, but enough was there to keep up the reputation of our county as one of the fruit raising counties of Wisconsin. The show of grapes was splendid, some of the choicest varieties. Friend Springer had fiftythree kinds; R. M. Hubbard, of Fremont, forty; C. F. Eaton, of Fremont, thirty-six; J. A. Mathews, Weyauwega, fifteen; A. V. Balch, ten. At our meeting in January the subject of grape raising was discussed. Rev. J. P. Roe, of Oshkosh, gave us some very good suggestions. He prefers the Concord, Delaware, Rogers No. 15. Rogers 22, 44 and 28 are excellent. For an early grape likes Rogers No. 3. Of black grapes likes Moore's Early, Champion. Was much pleased with the Duchess and considers it a farmer's grape. The following officers were elected: President-O. A. Rich, of Weyauwega. Executive Committee-W. A. Springer, Ch'n, A. V. Balch, E. W. Wrightman. Delegate State Society J. Wakefield. J. WAKEFIELD, Secretary. COMMUNICATIONS. POTATO ROT. The main facts in regard to the history and development of this destructive disease have long been familiar to scientific men, and the results of their investigations have been so fully made known to the public that it is not possible to present much that is new on the subject, or to throw much additional light on the question in regard to its primary cause, or on the methods for prevention or cure; but as it is a subject in which not only farmers but the public generally are largely interested, both on personal and pecuniary grounds, it seems advisable to restate, in another form, facts that are already known in regard to it. To those who are not acquainted with the hidden agents, forces perhaps, that are operating in the natural world around us, it will be instructive, and should the presentation of the subject at length lead to a closer observation of the conditions accompanying the disease in its various stages, facts may be brought to light that will prove beneficial. Dr. Thomas Taylor, microscopist of the agricultural department, in response to a personal request, and in accordance with instructions courteously given by Commissioner Loring, has kindly contributed an original article and also sent a number of communications from Professor Worthington G. Smith, a well known English observer on this subject. Professor Taylor also furnished the accompanying cuts or drawings from which they were made. It might have been in better taste to have limited the presentation of the subject to these papers alone, but as each paper presents different parts or stages of the disease, and taken together do not give a full history of it, a plain, connected statement of its complete development may not be regarded as out of place, and by the explanation of some of the scientific terms 17- HORT. used, may enable the general reader to get a better understanding of the whole subject. The views herein stated, and the conclusions presented, are mainly compiled from the opinions and observations of Professors Cooke, Berkeley, Taylor, Smith, Farlow, De Barry and others. Perhaps no one of the authorities named would be willing to assent to the complete statement as made, or accept entirely the deductions drawn, for there is much diversity in their individual opinions on some of the points presented, but the conclusions presented are those to which a limited personal observation and * a careful study of the different views and observations given by these investigators seem most naturally and conclusively to lead. Various theories have from time to time been advanced as to the primary cause of this disease. Many of these theories have been proved to be fallacious, but there are two still held, both of which have earnest adherents. One is, that it is the result of a general loss of vitality, a deterioration of the plant itself, brought about by unfavorable conditions of soil or climate, or both; the other is, that it is primarily, wholly caused by fungoid or parasitic growth. All agree that fungus is found in connection with the disease and, that in certain conditions, it is an active agent in hastening decay. Those who hold the opinion first stated claim that this fungus growth comes as the result of, and is only made possible by, a previous unhealthy, diseased condition of the plant, and that it is a natural provision for the reduction of decaying organic matter to its original elements. The others say that it can lay hold of healthy tissue and unaided destroy the vitality of the plant. With one or two exceptions, those who have investigated the subject the most thoroughly favor the first theory or express strong doubts as to the correctness of the last, but the exceptions noted are very positive in the assertion of the truth of their position. Facts, clear, unquestioned facts alone can demonstrate which view is correct, and those investigating the subject must, each for himself, draw such conclusions as the facts at com mand seem to warrant, or hold the matter in abeyance until we have more light. The fungus found in connection with the potato rot is called |