2a MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
tify his home, where his wife spends her time and his children re- 
ceive their first lessons in life, than he would had his attention 
never been called to these things onthe school ground. I believe, 
also, that the girl who is taught to care for and love plants and 
flowers on the school ground will have something instilled in her 
mind that will better enable her to fill her allotted sphere in life, 
whatever it be. 
I once applied for asituation to teach school where two teachers 
the winter previous had made failures. The clerk said: “I do not 
care for your certificate or your education, what I want to know is, 
have you got sand.” He did not even ask if I knew anything of 
horticulture. He said, “Our school money was thrown away last 
winter—the boys raised the ‘Old Harry,” was his expression, “whit- 
tled up the desks, climbed out of the windows, ran home during 
school hours.” To make along story short, he said, “If you can teach 
the school and keep order, I will pay you. If not, you can quit and 
gohome.” My father was with me, and intimated I had better let it 
alone, but I hadan ambition to try itand engaged to teach on those 
terms, provided the other members of the board consented. But I 
confess when I went to the schoolhouse and saw the condition of 
things, my courage nearly failed me; but the contract was made, 
the board agreeing to put the house and surroundings in proper re- 
pair, and I agreeing to keep them so if I could. 
School began,andas soon as I could I began with the assistance of 
the smaller boys and girls to arrange and make flower beds and 
beautify the grounds. As the larger boys began to come, I found 
them to be quite as willing to assist in caring for the plants and 
flowers as they formerly were to destroy the property. I taught ° 
there three terms and had the satisfaction of knowing I had no seri- 
ious trouble with any pupil and could have held the position longer. 
The board said one thing was certain, if I could not accep the posi- 
tion another year, the one who did must continue and care for the 
flower beds. 
I would say to you this evening that, from the standpoint of 
a teacher, it is far more pleasant and gratifying to be out among 
the boys weeding the flower beds and transplanting flowers 
than it is to see them playing marbles for keeps or learning to 
smoke or chew tobacco. When parents realize the fact that the large 
majority of the children in Wisconsin receive the larger part of their 
education in the common schools, they ought to feel the necessity of 
instituting the inquiry, “What system of education will best fitthem 
for usefulness?”’, and the study and practice of horticultural pur- 
suits is, in my opinion, one of the best plans to adopt. The nature 
lessons, which should be conducted in all of our schools, I find can 
be made very interesting. One pupil, I have in mind, that it seemed 
impossible to reach until one day we had a lesson on leaves and the 
different ways they were situated on the branches. He came the next 
day with a splendid lot of branches, showing that he was interested 
in that line of study. 
If we endeavor to advance our work more and more along this 
line, the education will be more practical, our school will be 
