IV inter Meeting. 321 



while she sits by her desk in her own home, with her family around 

 her, and if daint}'' lace work drapes her chair, and her feet rest upon 

 cushions, who shall say her nay? No one has yet learned all there is 

 to learn about horticulture and both practical and scientific knowl- 

 edge can be gained in home work and study. Best of all, a woman 

 need neglect nothing that is for the true good of the young minds 

 about her, who need all the iielp that modern progressive women 

 2 re so able to give. 



jMau}' fail to do anything while longing for special opportunity 

 for greatness. I knew one wise woman, the daughter of a farmer and 

 horticulturist, educated in the district and village schools, with home 

 study and application, who later became a district school teacher. 

 AVhen ''Nature Studies" first agitated the public mind, she came to 

 •school one day witli a big red apple — a Ben Davis, I presume — any- 

 way, just such an apple as every child at school had seen many times, 

 and eaten as wel? and announced that this term they would study 

 about the apple. Now everybody knew all about the apple. They 

 knew how the agent came to the house to sell trees, and how father 

 didn't want any, and mother did, and they got some trees, of course, 

 and planted them and sometimes got apples. They knew apples had 

 color and a stem, a core and some seeds, and sometimes a big fat 

 worm comfortably living within. They knew an apple tree when 

 they saw one, and knev/ the cows were fond of them, especially when 

 ihev were vounsj and tender, and the older ones smiled to hear the 

 ■"teacher" speak of studying the apple all winter. Those lessons began 

 with the planting of the seed, growing, pruning, fruiting, protecting 

 from insects and disease, buddaig, grafting, cultivating, plant food, 

 the flow of sap, and the wonderful secrets stored up in bud and leaf. 

 The reason we had blossoms tliat attract and please the eye, soils 

 and even the use of the apple, from dried apple pie all along the line 

 of evolution until we reached the perfect specimen eaten out of hand, 

 and much more was taught those eager boys and girls. It is practical 

 lessons like these that are of real worth, and the adaptability of horti- 

 cultural work to the various members of the home cannot be over- 

 estimated. It gives scope for all our talents, scope for our energies 

 and is one of the most fascinatins: avocations on earth. 



n-21 



