ORN^AMENTING MICHIGAN SCHOOL GEOUNDS. 



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enclosing ^vhich we were unable to removej but we transformed them into 

 "things of beauty" by training morning glories and scarlet runners over 

 the unsightly surfaces. A few of the seeds did not come up and some died 

 before blossoming, but we had a great abundance of poppies, zinnias, portu- 

 lacas, petunias, pinks, larkspurs, batchelor's buttons, phlox, nasturtiums, 

 godetias, cypress, scarlet runners, morning glories, and last, but by no means 

 least, such beautiful eschscholtzias. We put them in a bed by themselves, and 

 during the heat of the day the bed was a blaze of orange and creamy bloom. 

 We also devoted two large beds to zinnias and they were simply magnificent. 

 Such a variety of colors, and so double they were often mistaken for dahlias. 

 Thousrh the season was so unfavorable for the cultivation of flowers we did 

 what we could to supply nature's deficiency by giving them a copious draught 

 of from 10 to 20 pails of water from our school well each night so they did 

 not suffer from the extreme drouth. And the beauty and abundance of flow- 

 ers that rewarded our labors was truly surprising, as were also the children's 

 care and interest, which were unflagging from the moment the seed packages 

 were opened till we gathered our last bouquet. I allowed a certain number of 

 them each morning to gather bouquets, and each seat was constantly supplied 

 with its bunch of flowers in vases, ink bottle or tin cup. The fame of our 

 flowers reached beyond our town and we were greatly gratified by the compli- 

 ments of our numerous admiring visitors. 

 Perhaps a plat of our beds may be inter- 

 esting and I will here draw a diagram which 

 may be useful, as I have never seen any laid 

 out in the same way. In the center of the 

 the middle bed we placed a tall pole and 

 trained nasturtiums, cypress and morning 

 glories to the top. On the last day of 

 school we gathered ten very large bouquets 

 to decorate our tables at our picnic, and our 

 flowers were still in full bloom when we were 

 obliged to leave them. Though my labors 

 this year are not amongst my old pupils, I 

 am satisfied that horticulture will not be 

 neglected by them if I am not there to 

 oversee their work, for I believe I was successful in my attempt to instill and 

 cultivate a love of the beautiful in their minds. I cannot sufficiently express 

 my gratitude to D. M. Ferry & Co., for the pleasure thus afforded me, and 

 my scholars join me in warmly thanking them. 



I believe the flowers assisted me in controlling my sixty restless pupils much 

 more easily than I should otherwise have been enabled to do; and our mutual 

 love of them was an added link of sympathy between us, and all combined to 

 make the summer an unusually pleasant one. Many thanks to you for the 

 interest you have taken in the hitherto neglected school yards and the pains 

 you have taken to secure to us the means of beautifying them. 



Edla Park, Birmingham: Our seeds were a success. The pupils were di- 

 vided into parties, each party having a bed to plant and look after. A whole- 

 some strife ensued to see which would do the best, and by July 1st our yard 

 was one mass of bloom. Our school closed the 16th of July, so the flowers 

 were left in their glory, but in the sowing and weeding we learned the names 

 and peculiarities of a large number of sorts, which opened a new field of study 

 and enjoyment to us all. 



