540 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



This is the best season of the year for pleasant and useful school lessons in 

 plant growth. Seeds of peas, beans, the larger grains, peanuts (unroasted), 

 cherry, plum, peach, nuts, etc., (kept through winter neither dry nor wet, and 

 safe from mould) — any of such seeds placed on damp sand in a warm room will 

 soon begin to swell and presently show the radicle and plumule. In large 

 seeds, as in the peanuts, by merely separating the two cotyledons, it will be 

 seen that those are already formed in the seed ready to move outward so soon 

 as moisture and warmth are duly supplied. If the seeds be covered with a fold 

 of felt or cloth instead of sand or soil they can be easily inspected at any mo- 

 ment, but they must not be long exposed to dry air. Sand is convenient for 

 their first bed because it is clean and it can easily be rinsed off to allow of in- 

 specting all the parts of the young growth. It is only after leaves expand that 

 the food stored in the seed becomes exhausted and that fertile soil is wanted. 

 Friends of the schools who have spare seeds or bulbs or tubers of easily growu 

 and attractive flowers will do well by sending them to teachers for planting at 

 the school, or for distribution to the pupils for planting at home. This will 

 do good in many ways. 



School Horticulture. — We cannot pile up -too much testimony in favor 

 of interesting the school children in the things that grow about them, and 

 we heartily give place to the following thoughts by Emily L. Taplin : 



Among the many refining influences which a thoughtful teacher may bring 

 to bear on her scholars, there is nothing more potent than a taste for flowers. 

 The same taste that will give a touch of refinement to the poorest cottage 

 throws a much needed grace over a bare school-room. And the children will 

 soon begin to take pride in their teacher's floricultural efforts, whether it 

 takes the form of winter window plants or outdoor summer gardening. As 

 a general thing, the builders of a country school-house seem to pitch their 

 tent on the most barren and sterile spot in the neighborhood, so out-door 

 gardening is well nigh an impossibility. So the gardener must make the 

 most of a sunny window. The plants may be contributions from parents 

 who possess them; usually the children are very proud to supply "teacher" 

 with what she wants, if it is within their power. Simple plants of easy 

 culture may be chosen; the ever popular Wandering Jew is always pretty, 

 and is not easily discouraged. Oxalis is another nice thing, while scarlet 

 geraniums are always neat and thrifty, and turn their smiling faces to their 

 grower through every change of season. 



It is not merely for their intrinsic prettiness that we value flowers in the 

 school-room ; they will attract and retain the interest of the scholars in a 

 marked degree. If the teacher possesses an intelligent knowledge of plants, 

 she can give most entertaining object lessons on this theme. We do not 

 mean the analytic botany so many graduates possess — that is merely the 

 bleached skeleton of the subject. To engage the attention of the children, 

 one should know plants intimately, and enjoy their confidence — study after 

 the system enjoined by Mr. Squeers: "When a boy knows b-o-t-t-i-n-n-e-y 

 means a knowledge of plants, he just goes out and knows 'em." By a sort 

 of anecdotal knowledge of botany and floriculture, a teacher can both interest 

 and instruct. And the refining influence of dainty blossoms cannot be over- 

 estimated. It may not turn rough boys into Chesterfields all at once, but it 

 will be a change in their material lives, and it will help to satisfy that crav- 

 ing for beauty which is the natural dower of every girl. 



