SOCIETY OF CENTEAL ILLINOIS. 127 



With all these circumstances in our favor, why is it that we 

 manifest so little interest in the growing and care of flowers? With 

 a few rare exceptions, men do not care for their cultivation. Their 

 minds seem to be absorbed in the pursuits of business or pleasure of 

 another character, to the exclusion of all thoughts of the possibili- 

 ties and pleasures to be derived from their cultivation. I hope to 

 see the time when men will take more interest in their garden (or 

 yards as they generally call them, the very name of which is a deg- 

 redation), and not leave them entirely to the care of the ladies. 



There is surely enough in it to engage their great intellects 

 and to satisfy their highest aspirations in this world. But how to 

 bring about this desirable condition of things is a difficult matter to 

 solve. I would suggest beginning with the home, and there teach 

 the children to love and cultivate flowers, and here I feel grateful 

 for the many examples set before the children by their mothers. I 

 would also introduce flower culture in our public schools, which, to 

 my mind, would be a good plan if taken in hand by teachers and 

 pupils with a will, and I have no doubt but it would succeed after 

 once getting into running order. The carrying out of this plan in 

 detail, however, would have to be left to the teachers in charge. I 

 will only suggest, in a general way, a few thoughts to lead up to 

 that end. First, set aside a plot of ground for the use of each 

 class. Second, devote, bay half an hour each day to the study, or 

 practice of plant growing. During the spring term seeds, cuttings 

 and bulbs may be raised in the windows, and cared for until warm 

 enough to remove them to the garden, when many other plants and 

 seeds may be procured, and the classes vie with each other in mak- 

 ing and keeping the neatest garden. Let all plants be correctly 

 named on conspicuous labels. 



The minds of the young, being plastic and susceptible, are easily 

 impressed, and there is a natural love among children for flowers, 

 and lessons taught there would never be forgotten. Besides, what 

 could we suggest that would make the school and its surroundings 

 more pleasant and inviting than flowers? I know of nothing, and I 

 hope our school directors will take the hint, and provide suitable 

 grounds, tools, seeds, plajits, etc., and give it a trial : and I feel sure 

 the result would warrant them in continuing it, and the children 

 wQuld acquire a fund of floricultural knowledge that would be a 

 source of never-ending pleasure to them, and, having begun aright, 

 would continue to pursue, as a pastime, the culture of flowers intel- 

 ligently in after years. Tliis idea of introducing the practice and 

 study of floriculture in our schools can but be conducive of great 

 good in the future, and its effects would be apparent all over this 

 great country. In addition to this, it behooves us, as members of 

 this Society, to try and interest, by pref^ept and example, the masses 

 of the people in this branch of horticulture. 



