have faith that I can make it profitable growing apples, and, I have no doubt, that there are those still farther north, in Minnesota, that will be successful raising apples, but they must have elevated and favored localities as to shelter and soil.

I have attended two of the annual meetings of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, and found that they have a wide awake and energetic set of men, who are working hard to secure knowledge that will be a benefit to themselves, and which they seem ready and anxious to impart to others. Their society is flourishing, and from them, I first heard the theory advocated, that for fruit in the northwest, we must depend largely on the Transcendent and other varieties of hardy crab apples. But like many others, I tried hard to believe different, as I wanted apples that were better than crabs; but I find after years spent in experimenting and investigating, I am gradually, but slowly adopting, and among my friends, advocating almost their theory; although I have had, and still have strong hopes, that out of the many varieties of the Russian apples that our worth ex-president, A. G. Tuttle, and others of our nurserymen are testing, that the coming apple for the northwest will yet be found. As it stands to-day, I am of the opinion that the Wealthy is the hardiest variety that we have on the list; full as hardy or hardier than the Duchess; a vigorous grower, but it will never prove a very valuable market variety on account of its keeping qualities. I do not consider it as good a keeper as the Fameuse, which I think stands to-day at the head of the list of all the apples ever raised in the northwest, taking everything into consideration. I visited orchards in La Crosse county last season, the trees of which were set fifteen years ago, and purchased from a tree peddler, selling from Rochester, New York, where the trees came, from would be hard to tell, and found from four to six Duchess, and two to four Fameuse, loaded with fine fruit, their companions having passed away, and they, on account of the other trees failing, had been sadly misused, not mulched or cared for, used as rubbing posts for hogs, cattle and horses for years.

The Transcendent, so far, stands at the head of the list for crab apples. I know it is not a very good eating or keeping apple. The tree blights some years so bad that some nurserymen have discarded it altogether, and Harris, of La Crescent, Minn., says the fruit is so poor his hogs refuse to eat it. Still, it has furnished more fruit for eating, cooking, drying, canning, pickling, and for sauce than any other known variety of crab apple in the northwest, and so far as my knowledge goes, shows this season no signs of blight, which has not made its appearance on any variety yet. As to the other varieties of crabs, they are being thoroughly tested, and are growing in favor every year. On visiting nurseries and looking at the labels on this and the past season's setting, you can find the Minnesota (winter), Orange, No. 20 and

Early Strawberry (summer and fall), Maiden's Blush, Aikens' Striped, and Meade's Winter, all new varieties of crab apples, are being set quite extensively; also the Wealthy. The Orange is a favorite of mine; the tree is hardy, a fine grower, and the fruit is good; larger than the Transcendent, and keeps quite well into the winter. I have lost faith some in the Pewaukee in this locality, as several nice trees died the past winter. Still, as in the dying of oak trees, there may be other causes than cold, and as I have many good trees left, I shall continue setting that variety on account of its long keeping qualities. But with my small amount of experience, when I consult with a farmer about setting an orchard on the rich, porous soil of our valleys, my recommendations are very limited, say four to six Duchess, six Fameuse, six Wealthy, four Utter, four Transcendents, four No. 20, four Orange, and about ten of other, selected varieties of crabs, and tell him to buy the balance of his apples, as forty to fifty good trees are better than five hundred poor ones, and will receive much better care, which, at best, is not any too good.

The fruit crop the present season will be very small, owing to a hard freeze in April, after the fruit buds had begun to swell. Even wild plums and currants show no fruit; will be a few Transcendents and Duchess, and that is about all. But trees though backward in the spring, are doing fine this summer. Of the trees sold through this section, dug this spring, I think not half have grown, owing I think to the steady cold of last winter, from which they never recovered. I am now cultivating some three thousand trees in the orchard, and they promise well. My location is a clay, limestone soil, on a high ridge, with every exposure but western. The only pear trees I have that promise to bear fruit are the Flemish Beauty, though I have set perhaps fifty other varieties. Fine Flemish Beauty pears were raised in this county prior to 1872 and 1873, but since that, they have quit, probably owing to Kellogg's discovery, having come to the conclusion that it would be hard to find market for the fruit at that cost, when other fruit was plenty. Still, while there is life there is hope, and when I hear our worthy president tell his story of the Brown county pear orchard, and then look on the state map and find that it is about forty miles farther north than I am, I have great hopes of raising pears. I sincerely hope the day is not far distant when varieties will be introduced that will make the prospects of fruit growing in the northwest look much brighter than they are at present.

OUR GIRLS.

MRS. IRENE H. WILLIAMS, MADISON.

Read at June Meeting, at Janesville.

How often in reading the many magazines and papers devoted to home and household topics, do we find the question asked: What shall we do with our boys? A very necessary thought, but why does not some one ask the same in reference to our girls? In these last years of the nineteenth century, a great revolution in opinion has taken place respecting the education of girls. The many avenues formerly closed to them in the way of opportunities for self assistance, are now open, until there are few of the callings or ways of obtaining a livelihood, before conceded to man alone, but what a woman can fill, if she has the ability. This is as it should be; why should a boy receive all the advantages that fit him for self reliance and the care of others, when he is generally thought by nature to be already better fitted for this, and a girl who is just as likely in this uncertain life to need such knowledge, be educated only with the idea of obtaining a superficial acquirement of the languages, music and other accomplishments, to satisfy the criticism of loving friends, and then drop all when school days are over? A few years will obliterate all from her mind, for her studies were not directed with the view of becoming thorough mistress of any one particular branch, and with no thought of any necessity arising when she would be glad to make practical use of them. The cruelty of such a fitting for life must be apparent to any one who gives it a second thought. Of course we can not, in our prosperous days, realize that misfortune can come to one of ours, those dear ones for whom we are striving, laying up treasures of wealth, shielding them from all anxiety or responsibility, gratifying their every wish and want, and we dread to open their eyes to the other, the shady side of life. Is it justice to them? If the hour of misfortune never visits them, such preparations can do them no harm; should they need it, how thankful will they be to take the helm and guide their bark triumphant through the storm. Too often the first realization of the necessity of self assistance comes when the saddest of all sounds smites the ear, the clods of earth falling on that which holds all most dear, the form of the one that stood between them and care, responsibility and want. They still live, for life cannot be laid aside to be resumed when the shadows have passed. Perhaps many are looking to them for the needs of life, when it is almost too late to learn, for then time is precious.

We daily see the changes that are taking place, the uncerta ty of riches and the comforts their possession can give. One may be born surrounded with luxuries, but will they always last?

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father or husband may die, and with them depart the income; sickness or reverses in business, yes, there are many sad ways to bring want to the door. If the mother, wife, or daughter have not prepared for some such crisis in girlhood, what shall they do? Woman is not an idler or drone from choice, it is mainly the mistaken kindness of parents that at times causes her to appear so. Noble girls! Why, the land is full of them. Indeed, they are not of the past. There are many who feel themselves a loving burden on an overtaxed father, but there seems no congenial work into which they can enter heart and soul; the father struggles on, and the girl waits for someone who is to make life all sunshine and bear all responsibilities, as the father has done before. This dream is only occasionally realized, and the burden must yet be taken up further down the road.

A boy, if he shows a preference for any particular study, is generally allowed to become master of it; then why not deal as fairly with the girls, who are just as likely to need it. Do not bring them up with the idea that they are vines and must cling for support and protection. Even vines often gain strength by climbing alone. Whatever they show an aptitude for, let them become perfect in it, let it be teaching of the English branches, music, bookkeeping, telegraphy. reporting, or floriculture.

Some from earliest infancy exhibit a fond love of flowers and plants. When old enough to visit the woods, notice how they come, bringing not merely the blossoms, but roots and all, to make a home garden of their own. How tenderly do they watch, and with what joy do they greet the first blooms. Encourage this love; give them a spot to call their own; seeds, plants, and tools to work with; teach, or have them taught their habits and growth; let them learn thoroughly the methods of propagation and culture the many varieties require. These seeds of knowledge may some day mean bread. To me there seems no work more beautiful, more elevating, or more refining. It brings out all that is pure and good in one's character; it fills life with beauty, and prepares one for the transplanting to the garden of fadeless bloom. Can one sow a seed and watch its growth without having in mind immortal life?

The work of floriculture seems particularly adapted to woman; there is so much that her gentle hands can do more carefully than man's stronger touch, such as transplanting of seedlings, potting of rooted cuttings. Then there is the care of the propagating benches, budding and taking of cuttings. In the arrangement of flowers, and all the varied designs of floral decorations, woman's idea of harmony of color is naturally better than that of man; and in every way they seem much more fitted for this work. If this employment was known to be open to women, how many would lay down the toilsome needle, the tiresome ledger, leave the dusty, bustling stores, factories and mills, to lead a life of health, beauty and moral improvement.

The more intelligence brought into any work, the greater is the advancement made; one can rise to distinction in this work as well as any other. Intellect will tell, and if directed with a great love for the undertaking, success must follow. Those who have read "My ten rod Farm, or How I became a Florist," may see what a woman can do to keep the guant wolf from the door. A small green house opening off from a room, say a kitchen, could, during the early winter and spring, be kept sufficiently warm from the stove, and the steam arising from the cooking preserve the needed moist atmosphere, and it might be well warmed at night, when not bitterly cold, by the heat of an oil stove, provided the green house was shielded from north and west winds and built partly under ground. Here could be grown many varieties of plants not requiring hot house temperature, also early vegetables, lettuce, radishes, parsley, and plants of tomatoes, cab. bage, peppers, cauliflower and celery. These things would always find ready sale, for eyen in large cities the demand for early, fresh, home grown vegetables, is seldom met. Small fruit culture has been recommended for a woman's work. With the exception of strawberries, they could easily do it and find the work light; but the necessity of constant stooping would render it too laboriStill one must not undertake it with the idea it requires but little care, for never would mistake be greater. As ye sow, so will ye reap." The care of a vegetable garden, after it is put in order in the spring, could be made, with the aid of children, a good support, and give to the tired, house bound woman a new lease of life. We do not wish to crowd out those already en. gaged in the work, for there is still much left for them that we can not do. Who, of our many prominent florists, will open their doors and teach "Our Girls" this truly beautiful and appropriate profession?

ous.

WOMAN'S WORK IN HORTICULTURE.

MRS. H. M. LEWIS, MADISON.

Read at June meeting, at Janesville.

I wish to have it clearly understood that I am not an advocate of woman's rights in the full sense of the word, and I have no admiration for a manly woman, but I do advocate that woman has the right to do any and all things for herself and family that she can do with dignity, and without losing any of her womanly delicacy. I am sure that the great majority of women would not enter public life were its doors fully open to them; but I believe that the unmarried woman who pays taxes and has no protector,