THE PLANT WORLD 17 



After prolonged search, Berry lias found all stages between a basal lobe 

 and the normal form with the stipules separated from the blade by the 

 whole length of the petiole. 



A Nursery School of Botaisty. — An innovation that is not only unique 

 and quite original, but useful as well, has recently been made by Thomas 

 Meehan & Sons, the nurserymen and landscape engineers, of German- 

 town, Philadelphia. This concern has established for its employes a 

 school of botany with a systematic course of study, and it has already 

 met with great encouragement. 



This school is under the direct personal care of Mr. S. Mendelssohn 

 Meehan, a member of the firm, and Mr. Ernest Hemming, a Kew grad- 

 uate, who is a specialist in herbaceous plants and in charge of that de- 

 partment for the firm. The former ceaches the advanced members of 

 the class, and the latter instructs the younger element. Both express 

 themselves as being well pleased with the progress of their pupils. 



Every employe is eligible, from the veteran who has grown gray in 

 the ser\dce to the apprentice who puts in time washing pots. It is sur- 

 prising and encouraging to see what interest all the members of the class 

 take and what progress they make. 



Nothing could better show the advancement of the nursery business 

 in this country; it is working ever upward. The value of the trained 

 man is becoming every day more appreciated. This departure indicates 

 a desire on the part of the employer to educate the employe ; raising 

 the man's standard and thus making him worth more in every way. 

 Heretofore the training received in nursery work was mostly through 

 individual effort, and not so much through the teachings of his super- 

 iors. 



For the nursery worker the benefits to be gained by studying botany 

 can be readily seen. The advantage such a class has to make the most 

 of its studies on a large and complete nursery may be well appreciated. 



The meetings are held in the evenings, and the course has been so 

 arranged to make it interesting and to eliminate as far as possible the 

 natural dryness of the study. 



