HOUTICULTURK IX SCHOOL OF AGUICULTURE. 20." 



gether with some of the scieiiiitic i)rinciples on which these operations 

 are based. The course is taught by series of lectures and in addition 

 the students have one two-hour laboratory or practice period each week. 

 During this practice period the classes are divided into small sections 

 of from five to eight students in order that each student may receive 

 more thorough instruction. 



At the beginning of the first year the men take up the study of 

 management of both the home and the commercial orchard. They begin 

 with the propagation of trees, then the culture and care of the orchard 

 and finally they study the harvesting, storing and marketing of the 

 frvfits. Only the tree fruits adapted to Nebraska conditions are dealt 

 with, and special emphasis is laid upon varieties best suited to our con- 

 ditions. A great deal of stress is also laid upon the methods of tillage 

 and spraying. After the tree fruits have been thoroughly covered in 

 the lecture room as well as in the laboratory, the study of small fruits 

 is taken up in much the same manner. 



During the senior year the men make a study of ornamental garden 

 ing, vegetable gardening, plant breeding and fruit judging. The latter 

 is taken up in the laboratory and several periods are devoted to the 

 study of varieties and judging the fruit. In the study of ornamental 

 gardening, the general principles, and the methods of ornamenting both 

 farm and city homes are discussed. The students are instructed in the 

 methods of propagation and identification of ornamental trees and shrubs. 

 The students are required to draw up plans of their farmsteads and 

 ornament the same. The course in vegetable gardening includes the 

 choosing of the site, preparing the ground, rotating crops, the making 

 and use of hotbeds, the testing of vegetable seeds under various condi- 

 tions and the storing and judging of vegetables. The men receive three 

 lectures each week during their freshman year and two during their 

 senior year. 



In the course for women particular stress is laid upon the growing 

 of flowers and other ornamental plants, both indoors and out. Home 

 orchardarding and vegetable gardening are also briefly covered. Special 

 emphasis is laid upon the principles of ornamental gardening as applied 

 to the home. In the laboratory they deal largely with the propagation 

 of shrubs and both annual and perennial outdoor and indoor flowers. 



The laboratory or practice period is a very essential part of the 

 course. Let us take spraying as an illustration. This subject is thor 

 oughly covered in the lecture room, but if the student really makes 

 some of the spray material he remembers it longer and everything is 

 made plain to him. He not only makes a small quantity of spray ma- 

 terial, but in the case of Bordeaux mixture he uses three different 

 methods for a short time, in order that he may see which one remains 

 in suspension for the longest time. 



Students who complete this work satisfactorily and who have had 

 some practical experience in addition are prepared to engage in com- 



