tSgS. 



GARDENING. 



169 



population of New York has increased 

 seventeen times, while that of New York 

 city has increased forty-si « times. From 

 1S70 to 1890 the increase in population 

 in New York state was 1.610,000 while 

 the increase in value of real propertv was 

 $1,659,000,000. In 1S69 the value of 

 our farm products was $253,000,000. 

 Twenty vears later it had fallen in value 

 to $161,593,000, while the farming land 

 of the state has depreciated 50%. 



These facts present some serious prob- 

 lems for the producers ol fruit and farm 

 products. The gTOwth of cities ought 

 naturally to be of great benefit to those 

 who grow food products, but unfortun- 

 ately in this rapid growth of otir cities 

 there is a very large increase of the non- 

 earning and dependent class, filled from 

 the ranks of the unemployed. It is stated 

 by the Bureau of Labor that 40% of those 

 engaged in the organized trades of our 

 state are unemployed, and this is un- 

 doubtedly true in most of the large cities 

 of our country. This large army of the 

 unemployed in our cities, supported by 

 charity, are not consumers of our fruits, 

 and before we can again find ready sale 

 for the products of our orchards and vine- 

 yards at anything like remunerative 

 prices, the problem must be solved of the 

 employment and opportunit\" to earn a 

 living by this large unemployed class in 

 our cities. 



In this drift of population to cities, our 

 rural schools have suffered. We have 

 to-day in New York 3,000 schools with 

 an average attendance of less than ten 

 children. We are paying $300,000 for 

 teachers in these schools, making the 

 cost for each child $20 a year beside the 

 local expenses. Is there any wonder that 

 the persons living in such communities 

 want to get away from them, and from 

 the farms, when their children can not 

 have the advantages that the better 

 schools of the towns and cities furnish? 

 We greatly need a consolidation of these 

 weak schools and more of central high 

 schools, that the children of the country 

 may have equal educational advantages. 

 In these schools should be taught the 

 natural sciences, applied to agriculture in 

 easy nature lessons. This line of instruc- 

 tion is being inaugurated, happily, in the 

 schools of our state to-day. 



During 1S96 a committee known as the 

 "Committee for the Promotion of Agri- 

 culture" was organized in New York city 

 by prominent persons anxious to build 

 up the rural interests of the state, 

 and thereby relieve cities of their con- 

 gested population. This committee insti- 

 tuted a line of nature study lectures to be 

 given in the public schools of Westchester 

 county, covering such subjects as soils, 

 plants, animals and insects. The work 

 proved so successful that a large demand 

 arose for it, and Cornell University was 

 urged to take it up under what is known 

 as the Nixon work, and it is now by Cornell 

 actively pursued in some parts of the state. 

 Within a few months we have met over 

 30,000 of the school children of the sta'e 

 to whom lectures have been given on 

 plant and insect life, and the teachers 

 were instructed on how to present these 

 topics. 



Cornell has also sent regular instruc- 

 tors to teachers' institutes, where the 

 teachers received most valuab'e informa- 

 tion, to enable them to introduce nature 

 topics in simple lessons in their schools, 

 and as far as possible from natural objects 

 rather than from books. In the inau- 

 guration of this public school work by 

 the New York committee, an elaborate 

 experiment was tried to test the interest 

 school children might have in the study 



of plants. An offer was made to all chil- 

 dren who would apply for them to send 

 them a half dozen strawberry plants, and 

 they were to plant, care for, study about 

 and write compositions for the school 

 upon what they learned from these plants. 

 The interest spread over the entire state 

 and over 10,000 plants were sent to chil- 

 dren who applied for them. 



With this kind of instruction given in 

 our schools, a new ardor would be 

 awakened and a new appreciation of 

 country life would come to many who 

 now have no desire to live in the country. 

 A class of boys and girls on leaving such 

 schools would take up their work on the 

 farm with a greater knowledge and intel- 

 ligence in relation to plants and insects 

 that would help them in every way. We 

 should not teach of insects so much from 

 the standpoint of their destructive influ- 

 ence, out ratherfrom the broader thought 

 of insect life where their interesting habits 

 may be known, and also their usefulness 

 as friends in the general economy of 

 nature. 



With this system of education carried 

 out in all schools in cities as in the coun- 

 try, there will come in time a change in the 

 tendencj' of so many to drift into the 

 hard lines of city living. There will be a 

 new life and interest in the farm; there 

 will be greater skill in handling the soil, 

 trees, vines and plants. The domestic 

 animals will be improved more rapidly 

 and with their improved products will 

 come larger incomes. But above all of 

 these will come that 'intellectual uplift 

 which is the great need of the life upon 

 the farm to-day. 



This is possible through our public 

 schools, and the improvement we so much 

 desire to realize in business and in the 

 best interests of society can be realized 

 sooner through this channel than by any 

 other. 



Waupaca Horticultural Society. — 

 At the annual meeting held at the house 

 of S. S. Chandler, Tuesday, January 18, 

 the following officers were chosen: Presi- 

 dent, E. L. Demarest; vice-president, M. 

 Hayward; secretary, H. Bvrnham; treas- 

 urer, W. D.B. Mclntire; delegate to Madi- 

 son, S. S Chandler, Jr.; alternate, W J. 

 Bendixen. 



Pennsylvania State Horticultural 

 Society. — At the annual meeting of this 

 society held in January the general fruit 

 committee made a remarkably full report 

 based upon circular letters sent to every 

 corner of the state, and the replies to the 

 same. These replies showed apples to 

 have been a light crop in almost every 

 section by reason of the early drought 

 and humidity at time of ripening. Pears 

 were below the average in quantity, but 

 the fruit was marketed in good condition, 

 and better prices were realized than in 

 preceding years. Peaches were a heavy 

 crop of undersized fruit. Plums, owing 

 to the introduction of the Japanese varie 

 ties, and the satisfaction there is with 

 them gave promise of being one of the 

 crops of the state. In some localities 

 cherries were a failure, while in others the 

 yield was heavy. The quince yield was 

 fair. Grapes were below the average. 

 Potatoes, as a rule, were a short crop. 

 The increased interest in ornamental 

 trees and shrubs and in home adornment 

 was noted. One reason forthiswas found 

 in the good example set by the great rail- 

 road companies of the commonwealth in 

 the efforts made to beautify the grounds 

 about their stations, this having a marked 

 influence upon the taste of the people and 

 leading them to pay more attention to 

 their home surroundings. 



1. W. BARNBTT. 



WORKERS IN HORTICULTURE. 111. 



Attention has been drawn to the Texas 

 State Floral Society by the remarkable 

 progress it has made in a comparatively 

 brief period. Organized as the Waco 

 Floral Society in 1896, the first exhibi- 

 tion was held in May of that year, 

 a chrysanthemum show following in 

 November. Last December the scope oi 

 the society was enlarged to cover the 

 entire state, and the title was changed 

 accordingly. The society will issue an 

 advance premium list shortly, offering 

 cash prizes to the amount of $750. This 

 is certainly an excellent showing, and 

 foremost among those responsible for it 

 is the president, Mr. J. W. Barnett, whose 

 portrait is herewith reporduced. Mr. 

 Barnett is a native of Texas, born in 1855 

 and educated in the country schools. He 

 has always taken a warm interest in the 

 promotion of floriculture in his native 

 state, and although engaged in the 

 wholesale grocery business during the 

 past twenty years, he has found leisure 

 for much floricultural work of the most 

 effective character. His labor of love, 

 together with that of his associates, 

 merits the highest reward, and we wish 

 them all success. 



Fruits and Vegetables. 



TOMATOES UNDER GLASS. 



So much has been written on this sub- 

 ject of late that perhaps I should apolo- 

 gize for giving expression to a thought 

 or two at this time. But I have grown 

 this crop for many years with such 

 unvarying success that I feel a word 

 - may not be inopportune, especially as 

 manj' growers are now actively engaged 

 in the incidental work. Most writers I 

 find complain of their lack of success in 

 setting the fruits, and some advise the 

 use of bees for this purpose, while others 

 assert that these are not necessary. I cer- 

 tainly agree with the latter, for I have 

 never employed bees in the tomato houses 

 and I have not yet failed to produce a 

 crop. 



I believe a large proportion of the fail- 

 ures are due to benching before the plants 

 have become root-bound in the pots, two 



