158 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1898. 



tural Society. To do that is to encourage the knowledge, or as 

 the Constitution of the Society says, "the advancement of a 

 knowledge of horticulture and its practice by doing something 

 to encourage the children to actually raise flowers and fruits." 

 I consider that a part of the child's education which is largely 

 neglected today, but which would solve the problem of juvenile 

 trespass in flowers and fruit and make it possible for those who 

 love them to raise them unmolested; that is, if the child puts 

 forth his energy to raise something himself he learns, in a way 

 that you cannot talk into him or preach into him in a lifetime, 

 the value of having something which he has raised. So I hope 

 in the future that the Horticultural Society may possibly do 

 something to encourage the kind of education in our child popu- 

 lation that it has so faithfully encouraged in its own members. 



The Toastmaster. — The professor was too modest to state 

 that he had put his theory into practical operation in encour- 

 aging the growth of plant life in our schools by distributing 

 seeds and oflering prizes at his own expense. 



Now I think we have said a great deal on this question of 

 education and nature study, and will follow it up by calling upon 

 the superintendent of schools, Mr. Clarence F. Carroll. 



Mr. Clarence F. Carroll. Mr. President, Ladies and 

 Gentlemen: — There seems to be no common ground between 

 the city and the country. The moment a boy comes within the 

 influence and atmosphere of the city he seems to be pretty 

 thoroughly cut oft' from all the beautiful things that God has 

 made and placed in the country. 



I need not emphasize the distinctive tendencies of our city 

 civilization, of all that is artiflcial and stimulating here, and I 

 am very glad for just a moment to follow in the line that has 

 been suggested by our distinguished friend. Dr. Hodge. I am 

 glad that there is a society that has set as its purpose the 

 restoring to some extent, to some slight extent, paradise in the 

 city, that it has made our parks green, and that it is planting 

 trees and building lakes, and giving to us some suggestions of 

 what as a city population we have lost. I am glad that there 



