THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



215 



INFLUENCES OF THE GARDEN CLUBS. 



Bv George T. Powkll. 

 A universal interest is growing in horticultural work, 

 and garden clulis are being organized in increasing num- 

 bers. The advantages of co-operative effort and action 

 are many, and they are being better understood. Broader 

 knowledge and information may more readily be ob- 

 tained, while exliiliitions are of far larger value and in- 

 terest through organized ckibs or societies than are pos- 

 sible through individual work. 



Every club must work out and pursue such policy as 

 is best suited to the local conditions, which vary widely. 

 The Onteora Garden Cluli, recently organized in the Cat- 

 skills, has entirely different problems to meet at an ele- 

 vation of twenty-five hundred feet than the clubs work- 

 ing on Long Island, about Philadelphia, or in New Eng- 

 land. 



Frosts occur in the Catskills in every growing month 

 of the year, while in some instances soil has to be trans- 

 planted and placed between rocks to make a place for 

 plants. Winter temperatures are at times more than 30 

 degrees below zero, which makes the problem of the se- 

 lection of trees and shrubs quite different than that for 

 the deep soils of sections of milder climates. The adapta- 

 bility of trees and plants to locality requires knowledge, 

 and this may be obtained through an organized source 

 much more advantageously. 



Garden clubs at the present time are being organized 

 along somewhat dift'erent lines than heretofore. Com- 

 mittees are appointed for specified work, that the high- 

 est degree of efficiency may be had in every department 

 of the work. The Onteora Qub, in addition to others, 

 has a committee on home gardens, to carry its activities 

 out to the farms of the locality, and in order to reach 

 the farm homes it has provided for associate members, 

 at an annual fee of one dollar, that farmers and their 

 families may have the advantages of the club, which will 

 be helpful in improving farm home life, and its surround- 

 ings, through simple, inexpensive means for beautifying 

 the home in garden work that shall include some flowers 

 and shrubs, along with a wider and better variety of 

 vegetables and small fruits, that will add to the dietary 

 of the farm table. 



At a recent flower show of the Lawrence Garden Club, 

 of Lawrence, Long Island, one of the members brought 

 a most excellent and beautiful exhibit of fruit, com- 

 posed of apples, pears, peaches and plums, from a "pa- 

 triotic motive," that in these times of so much distress, 

 caused by the high cost of foods, it could be shown what 

 might be produced from the sandy soil of Long Island 

 to contrilnite to the food necessities of many people. 



At the first meeting of the recently organized garden 

 club, of East Hampton, Long Island, one of the special 

 lines of work indicated is to be that of civic improvement. 

 The trees of that very beautiful summer resort were 

 devastated the past season, the foliage being greatly in- 

 jured by vast numbers of the tent caterpillars that were 

 a scourge in many parts of the country. Information is 

 to be disseminated on the control of such a pest that 

 the trees may be saved and the great beauty of the place 

 kept unmarred. Local pride is to be stimulated that 

 better roads and streets may be maintained. 



Another newly organized garden club at Sea Bright, 

 N. J., is equally interested in making the club of value to 

 the community outside of its organization. In all of the 

 clubs are members who take much personal interest in 

 their gardens. They make a study of plant life to know 

 of its requirements in propagation, in feeding, in right 

 pruning ; in fact, they want to work intelligently and to 

 bring out the best in plants in growth and developiuent. 



That is the real true spirit in garden work, the love of 

 the plant, wliich alwaxs thrives an;l responds to such 

 care. 



The work of these clubs is not to cease when their 

 members close their houses in tlie country and leave their 

 gardens regretfully liehind. They ])lan to hold meetings 

 in their parlors, and at city club rooms, wdiere courses 

 of lectures on specific subjects will be given, and make 

 a stud}- of the soil, trees and ])!ants — make notes in regu- 

 lar class-room work, obtain the best literature and return 

 to their gardens in the spring, better prepared to oljtain 

 the best results. 



With such standards as this toward.N wliich lo work; 

 v,-ith the broad and well-considered plans for doing the 

 best quality of work : with the interests of rural com- 

 numities at heart in an awakened appreciation and re- 

 gard for the life and protection of trees; for better roads; 

 for better schools, where children may have more of in- 

 spiration brought to their lives through better methods 

 of teaching, including more of nature subject, garden 

 clubs in the future, working upon such lines, are going 

 to become a luost important factor in their influence upon 

 rural conditions and the country life uplift in which there 

 is so universal an interest. 



LILLIAN SHAW. 



The many friends among the gardening fraternity of 

 j. Austin Shaw will be sorry to learn of his sad bereave- 

 ment in the death of his oldest daughter, Lillian, which 

 occurred at Clark^ville, Catskill M(]untains, N. Y.. on 

 ( )ctober 9. 



Lir.r.i.AN sii.\w. 



Miss Shaw was born at Oshawa, Canada. During the 

 past five years she was engaged in tutoring in Flatbush. 

 Brooklyn and New Jersey, and her popularity among her 

 pupils was attested by the large number which attended 

 her funeral, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, Borough 

 Park, on Monday, October 12. 



The floral tributes which filled the home and church 

 showed the universal esteem and love in which Miss 

 Shaw was held bv all who knew her. 



