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The rural cottages of the British Isles have a world-wide fame as par excellence," the houses of the earth, and their delights are published in poetry and song. Hidden away among trees and vines and flowers the simple structure becomes a resting place for age, and paradise to the child, and "Tis Jamie's home and mine," is heard wherever the children wander over the world.

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Horticulture has been termed "the Fine Art of Agriculture." In expression of form, color, or showy magnificence this is true, but it is more than this, and includes the "useful" as well as the polite arts." Thus the garden of herbs and vegetables, while giving no expression of the beautiful, represents the useful, in horticulture. The first bearing shrub, or tree, or vine represents the "useful and polite arts" combined, while the flowering shrub, the lawn and flower-border represents "decorative or polite art."

Poetry is not all written in verse, but much of it in prose, and a vast deal is never written or spoken but only felt and lived, and there are thousands of nature's poets who never wrote a stanza. All pictures are not from the painter's brush, but she who selects, combines, and harmonizes in garden border or bouquet the varied shades and colors of natural flowers, may be as truly an artist, and the colors with which she paints as truly nature's as he who mingles the pigments with oil on his pallet, and spreads it on the canvas. The line of beauty" is not confined to sculpture. True art may be shown in the winding path of garden or lawn; in the grouping and pruning of trees; in training the shrub or the curving of the vine. Thus we may claim in the broadest sense that horticulture is "art in nature," and its office is to surround home with the useful and beautiful.

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A late English traveler writes admiringly of an American home which he found in his journeyings among us: Hepworth Dixon, in his "New America" sketches a most charming pair of young Americans whom he had met conquering a home from very scanty materials, and amidst the most discouraging difficulties. The man is a squatter on a patch of forest land, which he has redeemed from loneliness. Yet all is comfort without a sign of poverty. He says: "Walk up this garden-way, through these neat little beds of fruittrees, herbs, and flowers. This path might lead to a gentleman's villa, for the road is wide and swept, and neither sink nor cess-pool, as in Europe, offends the eye. Things appear to have fallen

in their proper places. The shed is rough, strong and snug-a rose, a japonica and a Virginia creeper climbing around the door. Inside, the house is so scrupulously clean that you might eat your lunch as comfortably off its bare planks as you could from the shining tiles of a Dutch floor. Something like an air of gentle life is about you; in the little parlor there are a vase of flowers, a print and a bust of Washington.

"You see at one glance that there is a bright and wholesome woman in the house. Annie Smith is the type of a class of women found in America, and in some parts of England, but nowhere else. In station she is little above a peasant; in feeling she is little below a lady. She has a thousand tasks to perform; to light her fires; to wash and dress her children; to scrub her floor; to feed her pigs and cows; to fetch in herbs and fruits; to dress and cook the dinners; to scour and polish her pails and pans; to churn her butter, and press her cheese, and make and mend the clothes. But she laughs and sings through these daily toils with such an easy compliance, that her work seems like pleasure, and her care like pastime. She is neatly dressed, beyond, as an Englishman might think, her station in life, were it not that she wears her clothes with a perfect grace."

Our author very naturally retains his English ideas in giving the station in life of Annie Smith. But we call her more than " peasant," and more than "lady”—a true American woman; a mother whose children will be a blessing to her, and will even bless her, and whose memories, when they have left their home, will often lead them up that garden-way, past the rose, the japonica, and the Virginia creeper climbing around the door, into the parlor, with its vase of flowers, its print, and bust of Washington. Such mothers are the "angels of the covenant " that our American homes shall be kept pure and beautiful.

APPENDIX.

REPORTS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES.*

FREEDOM HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The Freedom Horticultural Society was organized February 6, 1875. Not much previous notice was given, and the evening was intensely cold. We have fourteen members. Owing to the want of time, no discussion was had at the first meeting, but we propose to have such. The officers for the present year are:

President-C. Hirschinger, P. O., Baraboo.

Vice-President-L. T. Albee, Baraboo.

Secretary-W. C. T. Newell, North Freedom.
Treasurer-S. D. Shultz, Baraboo.

JANESVILLE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

I have the pleasure to report the following persons as officers of the Janesville Horticultural Society for the year 1874–5.

President.-Alexander Graham,

Vice President.-Geo. J. Kellogg.
Secretary.-F. S. Lawrence.

Treasurer.-D. E. Fifield.

We have held occasional meetings during the season for discussions. Our annual fair was held in conjunction with that of the Southern Wisconsin, in September, 1874. The exhibition of Fruit

and Flowers was creditable, considering the season and the earliness of the time in which the fair was held; some two or three weeks earlier than common.

RICHLAND COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of this society was held in the court-house at Richland Center, on Thursday evening, September 17, 1874. Much interest was manifested in the objects for which the society was organized. Twenty-four new members were received. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:

President-A. G. James, Richland Center.

Vice-President-W. D. S. Ross, Richland Center.

Secretary-G. H. Putnam, Ash Ridge.

Treasurer-John Winn, Richland Center.

After the transaction of the regular business, there was an interesting discussion on the fire-blight, and other subjects pertaining to horticulture.

* These reports were made out and sent to the Secretary in due time and form, but were not forwarded to me until long after the other reports had been published, and hence they could not appear in their regular place. It was thought best to insert them at the close of the volume, so as to comply with the provision of law relative to the distribution of our Transactions, and secure them to the societies reporting.

F. W. C.