XVIII 

 CHILDREN'S FLOWER SHOWS 



MUCH might be done by local horticultural societies 

 to influence a love of art in the application of wild 

 country flowers or flowers of a cheap and inexpen- 

 sive character to the beautifying of village homes. 

 There is no doubt that the love of flowers thus 

 inculcated in the children in their early life must 

 have a refining and ennobling effect in their later 

 years. If teachers would interest their little charges 

 in the wild flowers which crowd our country lanes, 

 suggest their gathering some of the favourites, 

 and bringing them to help adorn the schoolrooms, 

 the children would inevitably drop into the habit 

 first of admiring and then making use of these 

 "wayside weeds" in their homes, and if the local 

 flower-show committee could be interested in the 

 matter much more might be achieved. 



As an instance of what can be done in this 

 direction 1 will quote the little village of Bishop's 



177 M 



