SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 21? 



they didn't sprout. The beds of some of their companions showed already 

 green shoots and tender leaves and this increased their disappointment and 

 impatience. They were told they must stop digging up their seeds and 

 must wait patiently if they wanted to have any plants. After this they kept 

 their hands out of the dirt but watched closely. At last, one morning they 

 were seen on their knees gazing with wondering, delighted eyes on a number 

 of small green shoots which had pushed up into the light. Often before 

 had seeds sprouted before their eyes, but they had not noticed it. Thev 

 were indifferent because they had not been active, incurious because they 

 themselves had not dug and planted and waited. These little children were 

 in the presence of a miracle. Yesterday their garden was brown and bare, 

 to-day it was green with little shoots. When asked if it was their waiting 

 that made the seeds grow they at once said "No," and then told how the 

 warm sunshine, rain and dew were all necessary. The child who receives 

 one of these beds in the spring will dig, rake, sow and water it, under the 

 direction of the teacher, and what he reaps from it will be his own property. 



In the United States the kindergartens that have gardens for the children 

 are the exceptions. This is partly due to the fact that very few institutions 

 of tbis kind have any summer session, mostly due to the lack of room. 

 Most kindergartners, however, have at least a flower pot for each child to 

 plant his seeds in, and water, and care for. 



Superintendent Kendall, of the Grand Rapids schools, spoke of the value of 

 internal and external embellishment of school premises, advocating earnestly 

 that great attention be given to the matter, citing instances among his own 

 schools and from those of La Porte, Indiana, where this work had been suc- 

 cessfully carried out by teachers and pupils, in conjunction. He said the 

 influence of such work could not be measured by any standard; it threaded 

 into the homes of the children, leaving lasting impressions. 



Prof. Daniels followed, citing instances from his own experience of the 

 wholesome influence of the adornment of school buildings and grounds. 



Prof. W. H. Ragan, secretary of the American Horticultural Society, being 

 present, was invited to address the convention on 



THE PROGRESS OF COLD WAVES. 



He illustrated, by means of a series of charts, the line of progress of the cold 

 wave of January that reached to Florida and froze the oranges upon the trees, 

 then returned north by way of the Atlantic coast, and passed off through the valley 

 of the St. Lawrence. He showed clearly the wonderful influence of the great 

 lakes upon the climate of Michigan, by the lines of low temperature which 

 curved above our peninsula, and saved us from serious damage. He said that 

 the waves that were most liable to do Michigan harm occurred|in February 

 and March, when the lakes were most nearly covered with ice, thus putting 

 our protection at minimum. 



The address was wonderfully interesting, and the audieuce appreciated every 

 word of it. 



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