INDIANA HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 405 



thrive. Many planters do not do as well as they know how to do, in 

 planting trees. If every planter made all of his trees live and produce as 

 they might the markets would be flooded. John Burroughs considers the 

 personality of each tree and vine. As we passed over the place he would 

 remark: "This tree or vine needs more pruning, this vine was pruned 

 too closely, that one needs spraying, the other needs having its fruit 

 thinned," etc. He knows the personal need of each. Time sifts out all 

 dross, hence nurserymen should be watchful. If poor varieties are sold 

 they will be discarded later. If you sell poor trees yoiu' trade will dimin- 

 ish. The careless planting of trees by the orchardist creates a larger de- 

 mand from nurserymen. While it is your duty to instruct the fruit gi-ower 

 who plants your products, you are upt responsible if that man neglects 

 your advice.— Green's Fruit Grower. 



HORTICULTURE IN OUR SCHOOLS. 



The necessity of teaching horticulture is becoming more apparent each 

 day. Our young people do not manifest any interest in the subject, which 

 they should. Why? I think it is because their education as directed leads 

 them along other lines. The farmers' sons wlio have had horticultural in- 

 struction are few and far between. The farmer, as a general thing, gives 

 little or no attention to horticultural work, but teaches his children to gi'ow 

 wheat, corn, hogs and cattle, leaving fruit growing to the few specialists 

 employed in this industry. Fruit gi'owing is therefore neglected and will 

 continue to be neglected unless there is an effort to awaken an interest in 

 the minds of the children through our schools. 



Just how to do this successfully is an enigma. In Germany they 

 incorporated into the schools textile manufactories, and between 1860 and 

 1890 we find the spindles increased from 1,699,759 to 2,600,000, almost 

 double her number. The English became concerned at this alarming in- 

 crease and sent an expert commission to learn the reason of German 

 ascendancy in "textile manufactories." The conclusion arrived at was 

 that textile schools accounted for it. 



-When a great country like Germany finds it profitable and necessary 

 to establish schools for special purposes and another great country like 

 Britain finds it necessary to appoint a commission to inquire after this 

 state of policy it seenis that we might profit thereby, and see to it 

 that our schools are so conducted that both agriculture and horticulture 

 should have a place in an education. True, we have our colleges especially 

 for the instruction of these branches, but they affect only the few. The 

 per cent, of our farm.ers' sons who secure a college education is far in 

 the minority— possibly not above 10 per cent. By introducing into our 

 common schools these branches would be of incalculable advantage to both 

 the children and the community as well.— Western Fruit Grower. 



