104: 



STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



were received from people who had never thought before that such things could 

 be cared for in a school room. We have made a beginning in the right direc- 

 tion. I can see the good influence already and know it will grow. 



0. B. Thurston, Berryville : The following is a report of the flowers sent 

 me by D. M. Ferry & Uo. for cultivation by school district No. 4, town of 

 Corinth, county of Otsego. Out of the 20 packages of seeds the following 

 named can be successfully cultivated. 



Mignonette, height 2 feet, matures. 



Godetia, height 2 feet, does not mature. 



Portulaca, height 6 inches, matures. 



Batchelor's button, height 2 feet, ma- 

 tures. 



Nigella, double, height 6 inches, ma- 

 tures. 



Poppy, height 2 feet, matures. 



Poppy, snow ball, height 3 feet, matures. 



Coxcomb, height 2 feet, does not ma- 

 ture. 



Petunia, height 2 feet, matures. 



Morning glorj^, matures. 



Four o'clock, height 4 feet, matures. 



Castor bean, height 8 feet, does not ma- 

 ture. 



Cypress vine, height 4 feet, does not ma- 

 ture. 



Scarlet runner, height IS feet, matures. 



Aster, dwarf, height 2 feet, matures. 



Pinks, double, height 1 foot, matures. 



Pinks, single, height 1 foot, matures. 



Joseph's coat, height 2 feet, does not 

 mature. 



Candy tuft, height 3 feet, matures. 



We derived a great deal of pleasure from the culture of the beds, and had 

 an abundance of flowers to decorate the school room with during the entire 

 term, and furnished large bouquets for several public entertainments. 



Kose C. Sweat, Ann Arbor: All my efforts to have flowers in the school 

 yard failed. The weather was so very dry after sowing the seed, and we had 

 no means of irrigation. Our soil was poor, so that after taking off the sod we 

 needed good earth, which the boys iiad to bring from a long distance. After 

 the seeds failed to come up we put in some cuttings which did very well after 

 it rained. I am not sorry we made the trial, and I shall certainly make an- 

 other attempt next year, hoping for a more propitious season. 



Emma M. Hooper, South Lyon : The scholars all took a deep interest in the 

 work, using their recesses in work upon the beds. The first plants were 

 watched eagerly. The vines we planted and trained over the windows, the 

 door, and over the gate (which is in the form of a harp, with an arch over it), 

 and, in fact, in every place that a vine could be trained. The seeds, with a 

 few exceptions, grew very well, but were not quite as tlirifty as they would 

 have been had it not been for the dry weather. The interest did not abate 

 (as I feared it would) among the children, and they took great pride in their 

 beds, and in keeping them free from weeds. I think your idea an excellent 

 one, as there are hundreds of children all over our land in whose homes a 

 flower is never seen, and here they get their first ideas of cultivating the beau- 

 tiful. 



Sue A. Crisman, Romeo : The selection of seeds was good, only we did not 

 need sunflowers. Beds were made and seeds sown according to directions, 

 but the extreme dry weather prevented any very great display of blossoms, 

 although some kinds did nicely, and at present there are many bright flowers 

 in blossom in the yard. When the beds were first made, before time to sow 

 many kinds of seeds, we put out plants of phlox, candytuft, petunia, and 

 several other kinds of flowers, and had in this way beautiful flowers all through 

 the month of June. The plants from the seeds began to blossom the last of 

 June, and from that time through the summer these earlier plants helped in 

 the display. The scholars were all pleased and interested, and willing to do 

 all in their power to assist in taking care of the plants, and had the season 



