Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-02-12
FLOWER CULTURE.
Paper by Miss Hattie Ben!s read be.
fore the Farmers Institute.

"Dreary and sad would this world be
of ours.
| If God had withheld the beautiful
flowers
A flower is the blossom Of plant,
the choicest part. We might add,
that which makes Nature beautiful.
Flowers may be considered as Ma.
lures smiles; living IN the glorious
light of the sun as smiles of happiness;
living in the shady hooks as smiles in
sorrow; nourished by light as smiles
by pure love; revivlng after a shower
as smiles after tears.
They produce every shade and col.
or and are found everywhere, and are
the means of gladening tie eyes of
the sick and suffering and rest for
the weary.
The poorest home may be trans.
formed by adjoining it with flowers.
BY simply passing a house one will
make an estimate in the mind of the
manner of its inmates, for where
flowers grow refinement dwells. re.
member once passing large, beauti.
full house, but decided signs of ne.
elect were apparent on every hand.
The large yard was filled with tall
grass and weeds and everything look.
ed forsaken and sad.
remember another small white
house, covered with vines and flowers,
and small, we'll kept lawn with
great beds of flowers. ornamental
shrubs and trees. think this one
attracted the most attention, because
everything was bright and cheerful.
Refinement and education command
more respect than vulgarity and
riches.
1t has not been many years since
choice flowers were the possession of
the rich only. Now they can be rails.
ed by anyone and are used for all &C.
casions in great profusion. No festive
occasion is complete without them.
think the desire for flowers is express.
ed in the following lines:
Bring flowers, young flowers, for the festal
board.
TO wreath the cup ere the wine is poured ;
Bring flowers! they are springing in wood
and vale,
Their breath floats out on the southern
gale,
the rose,
To deck the hall where the bright wine
Bring flowers to strew in the conqueror's
path,
He has shaken thrones with his stormy
wrath!
He comes with the spoil of nations back,
The vines lie crushed in his chariot tack
The turf looks red where he won the day,
Bring flowers to die in the conqueror' S way!
Bring flowers to the captives lonely cell,
They have tales of the joyous woods to tell.
OF the free, blue streams and the glowing
sky,
And the bright world shut from his languid
eye;
They will bear him thought of the sunny
hours,
And dream of his youth-bring him flow
ers, wild flowers!
Bring flowers, fresh flowers, for the bride
to wear!
They were born to blush in her shining hair.
She is leaving the home of her childhood S
mirtl,
She hath bid farewell to her father S
hearth,
| Her place is now by another's side,
Bring flowers for the locks of the fair
young bride!
Bring flowers, pale flowers, DER the bier to
shed,
A crown for the brow of the early dead,
For this through its leaves hath the white
rose burst,
| For this in the woods was the viole,
nursed.
Though they smile in vain for what once
was ours
| They are loves last gift-bring We flowers,
| pale flowers!
Bring flowers to the shrine where we knee
| in prayer,
They are natures offering, their place is
there!
They speak of hope to the fainting heart,
With voice of promise they come and
part,
They sleep in dust through the wintr,
hours.
They break forth in gIory-bring flowers
bright flowers.
For Decoration Day we cannot
have too many. The services are Sc
Grand and impressive, and to wha
nobler purpose could we devote oul
flowers, than to lay them reverently
on the graves of our fallen heroes ant
loved ones.
1t is said that Whittier was extreme
ly fond of wild flowers, and he mus
have been or he would not have writ
ten SO tenderly regarding them. TIL,
flowers of the wood and plain spring
ing into bloom and beauty are the re