142 State Horticidtnral Society. 



plants make a better farmer. He can study while pulling up weeds. I 

 believe we need to work up some method for this kind of work in all 

 our schools. One year I tried an experiment. I tried a class of little 

 boys and girls to see if I could make the work interesting to them. I 

 began to study how to do this. One thing of importance is to have 

 something for the little ones that is full of life; something that they can 

 see that is growing and moving and that they can work with. At first 

 Avhen there were no changes in the seeds they did not seem to care much 

 about it. But when the seed began to swell and send its little roots down 

 and send its little leaves up, their interest became great. They wanted 

 to look at them ever}- little while. 



If you w'ant the attention of a child, you must get something active. 

 i\Iust have life in it. Now I hope that the teachers will take up this 

 work all over this State. I hope their work will prove a prominent 

 feature for good for the children. But I have used as much time as I 

 should for this thing. I thank you for your kind attention. 



HORTICULTURE AS AN EDUCATIONAL FACTOR. 

 (By C. Hi Dutcher, Warreiisburg, Mo.) 



My subject affirms that horticulture possesses educational value. 

 No man who has w'orked at the business very long will demand proof. 

 Indeed one might say that horticulture considered not only as vegetable 

 and fruit raising, but as floral and landscape gardening as well, is an 

 education in itself. 



But w'ill horticulture studied and practiced educate our boys and 

 girls? If we consider education as the discipline of intellect and the reg- 

 ulation of the heart, I answer, yes. If we consider it a means of devel- 

 oping the physical, mental and moral powers of the individual, I return 

 the same answer. If we consider education as the training of the indi- 

 vidual — to train his hand, eye, ear or muscle; to train him to careful ob- 

 servation, and to be careful of his assertions ; to make him generous, 

 and love his neighbor as himself, I still say, yes ; horticulture is a great 

 educational factor. 



But to be more specific. Science is said to be classified knowdedge. 

 The whole range of education as once considered, even in our o\^'n day, 

 consisted in getting a knowledge of facts, classifying this knowledge, and 

 then investigating the causes, the effects, the whys and the wherefores. 

 This process led us into the fields of philosophy. Its tendencies were to- 



