94 MASSACIIUSETIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



We have all " been to school " — did we not find that (Hir reading, 

 writing, arithmetic, geography, drawing, music, grammar, and 

 history, to say nothing of the spelling, were as much as we were 

 able to compass before entering our teens? Did we have any too 

 much time for playing, and growing — and idly dreaming between 

 whiles, as growing children should to grow heavenward? Let us 

 leave some time for this growing and playing and dreaming to 

 the children of today. Let the crowding come late (if it must 

 come at all) ; and let the schools for manual training for trades be 

 separate schools. Tiiis seems desirable for two reasons : 



First — Because children expecting to work at trades will work 

 with ambition and love for their work, and compete more zealously 

 with each other, in those schools, if not brought in contact with 

 other children who are not expecting to do such work, and who 

 being without incentive are doing nothing well. 



Second — Because, having regard to the shortness of life and 

 the vastness of work, the children wishing to be put at trades 

 schools should be incited to enter them at an earlier age than 

 would be best for those from whom more book study is to be 

 required. 



But it is not to discuss the training of young children that this 

 paper is written ; it is rather for the guidance of those who have 

 passed through the halls of the public schools, and now stand 

 looking out into the world with eager, longing eyes, and question- 

 ing, " What shall be next?" 



To one who has studied the subject thoughtfully for years, as a 

 practical educator, this question arises : Are there not still untrod- 

 den paths in the gardens and fields, enclosed by barriers stronger 

 than stone walls, which should be, and could be, opened to the 

 light tread of the wives and daughters of the land — fields lying 

 fallow from the ignorance of the mothers and daughters, and barred 

 in by the prejudice and indifference of the fathers? 



Do you ever, when walking in your beautiful gardens, think of 

 the many New England farms and homes without gardens? And 

 do you ever reflect that there are daughters to inherit those places 

 who are not taught each day, as your own daughters may be, by 

 the beauties around them, and are not aided by your love and 

 knowledge of these beauties to know and love them ? 



But, though we know these daughters have been, and still are, 

 Ignorant of the possibilities of what lies around them in their 



