ORNAMENTING MICHIGAN SCHOOL GROUNDS. 105 



been a favorable one we would, I think, have had a display of flowers hard to 

 have been excelled. 



Eva A. Bennett, Angusta: The scholars were delighted with the seeds, but 

 my report is not a very good one. We could only prepare three small beds, as 

 we had no help from outside, so not more than one-third of the seeds were 

 planted, but these did well and the pupils are anxious to put the remainder of 

 the seeds in next year. The children all took hold with a will and were sorry 

 to be deprived in any way of doing their part in the work. One little boy, 

 eight years old, was sick two or three days just about planting time, and grieved, 

 very much lest the seeds would be all planted and he not able to aid in the 

 enterprise. A good deal of attention has been given to the yard also, and I 

 think next year better things Avill be done than the i^ast season. 



Evart E. Cornell, Benton Harbor : We planted the seeds under the super- 

 vision of a lady who is very successful with flowers and plants, following the 

 printed directions. The lady mentioned also favored us with some very large 

 slips of fine roses and a climbing vino that lives through the winter and is seen 

 generally on the walls of churches and college buildings. These are close to the 

 brick wall of the house and are doing finely, and a plant much like heliotrope 

 in size, form and fragrance, but with a little smaller flower, which is white, is 

 also living well, but that is all that withstood the dry weather. We planted 

 two evergreens and a horse chestnut tree ; the former are dead, but the latter 

 promises well. The idea of more flowers and trees in connection with the 

 school has been revived by our efforts and we hope it may grow until many 

 permanent attractions of the kind are added to the house and grounds. We 

 think such sturdy plants — shrubs, vines and trees — as require least attention 

 after a good start are best, as the different teachers may not always be inter- 

 ested in such things. 



Wm. W. Warner, Vermontville : Our beds were made in heavy clay, mixed 

 with sand and top-dressed with vegetable mould and muck from the woods. 

 AVe followed the plan of giving to each child one variety of seed as his special 

 charge. The seeds were sown at the proper time, and arranged in the manner 

 recommended in the directions sent with the circular. The beds presented a 

 very fine appearance after the flowers had blossomed; in fact I think the 

 school had the best collection of flowers in the district. On the whole, the ex- 

 periment was a decided success, for it not only had a beneficial effect upon the 

 school, but upon the neighborhood, and many who laughed at and ridiculed 

 us when they saw us making the beds not only "'condescended" to admire the 

 flowers, but to say that we had done well. 



W. A. Fallass, Cedar Springs: We received in good order the seeds so kindly 

 sent by D. M. Ferry & Co., and they awakened a great enthusiam among our 

 pupils. We assigned a small bed to any two pupils who would agree to take 

 care of it, and the work was generally well done. But our house stands on a 

 dry, sandy knoll ; the soil is poorer than I was aware, and when the heat of 

 summer came on the flowers succumbed in large numbers. We raised, how- 

 ever, some fine cypress vines in pots ; and on the whole, I regard the result as 

 excellent in its effect on the children, and we acknowledge with pleasure our 

 obligations to the firm who furnished the seeds and the society through whom 

 we received them. 



Lydia S. Davis, Flint: I am glad to tell you that our attempt at gardening, 

 in spite of the dry weather, was a positive success. I wish to make special 

 mention of the mignonette, pinks, candytuft, and alyssum ; they were beau- 

 tiful, and the pride of the boys and girls. I would suggest that to graded 



