20 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Barnard's Gardening for Money, Tlie Children's Garden and What They Made 

 of It, by Agnes and Maria E. Cotlow of London. E. H. Leland's Earni 

 Homes is as good as a novel, and Avill do one good, although the girls criticise 

 some parts of it quite severely. The liural New Yorker, and the Ladies' 

 Floral Cabinet are read as they come to the table. 



One of the girls thinks she is now fully competent to manage a flower gar- 

 den and a vegetable garden. They shall have a good chance, and God speed 

 them in their undertaking. There are many debates about some of the 

 flowers. Petunias stand dry, hot weather first rate, and make a good show, 

 but they are sticky to handle ; they sprawl all over and are not sweet to the 

 smell. They are discarded after one year's trial. Pinks are rather straggling. 

 Pansies do not stand dry weather. Asters are good if started in boxes, and 

 vrell transplanted. Sweet Alyssum is about right. Portulaca are nice. 

 Balsams are lovely. Mignonette is nice for bouquets. Phlox Drummondii is 

 very handsome. 



They are encouraged to try a few new things each year. This gives them 

 more experience and thus they become acquainted with more kinds of plants. 

 They saved seeds of some sorts last year. Here they learn economy and fore- 

 thought. 



This society has taken a deep interest in the improvement of school 

 grounds, and some of the members have advocated the introduction of agri- 

 culture or horticulture into the common scliools. Capital Grange, in Lan- 

 sing, not long ago, discussed this topic. Some advocated that every school 

 house should be near a piece of ground which should be used for instruction 

 in gardening. Here all the children should work and be shown how to per- 

 form various gardening operations in the best manner. 



Much of the labor on our farms, especially that pertaining to the garden, 

 and orchard, and vineyard is imjoerfcctly performed. What vast sums of 

 money could be saved if all, or even if a considerable part were well trained 

 in the rudiments of horticulture. How much greater would be the satisfac- 

 tion to every one who undertook any kind of work in horticulture. How much 

 stronger would be the attachment for rural life. A person likes to do what 

 he can succeed in. A bungler is seldom satisfied with his business. 



A Yankee thinks he can turn a hand at anything and prosper. Many meet 

 "with considerable success in this country where wages are higli. We are liv- 

 ing at a time when few think of serving as apprentices to learn a trade. Our 

 country is full of incompetent workmen. I mean they are very common who 

 have taken hold of trades, or some part of agriculture with scarcely any 

 preparation. AVe need to do something to arouse an interest in technical 

 schools. The subject is already attracting a good deal of attention in many 

 places. K well tnuned a person is a more capable workman; he is more 

 likely to be successful, and therefore more contented and happy. I put great 

 stress on mechanical ingenuity. I have had a good deal of experience with 

 men and boys in most that pertains to horticulture. No one thing will make 

 them more likely to succeed than skill in the use of tools and in keeping them 

 in good order. No man, certainly, is competent to act as foreman who is not 

 ■well skilled in this particular. My experience in teaching has fully con- 

 vinced me that nothing is easier to teach than gardening, and that children 

 can be very easily interested in such work. They must practice what they are 

 taught in order to keep u\) tlie interest and become familiar with all the diffi- 

 culties. Much as we should teach children at home or in the school, so we 



