TIIK STIDV OF lIOKTirULTURE IN I'lHLIC SCHOOLS. 133 



purpose. It has been said, "If you would teacli art, Boston is a 

 good place to begin"; but how about horticultural education? 

 We are a Society with a large property aud a large income, of 

 which a round sum is annually offered and paid out in prizes. In 

 view of this many people come here and take prizes year after 

 year, and yet, when it is proposed to spend any money to instruct 

 children in horticulture, they say this is not a charitable institution. 

 He believed that Boston is the place to begin the work of teaching 

 children horticulture, and not only the theories, but the practical 

 art of it ; and that this Society is the most proper organization 

 to initiate that work. In reply to a question b}^ the President, as 

 to whether the Sloyd system should not include horticulture, Mr. 

 Clapp said that the Sloyd system pertains solely to working in 

 wood, with the object of gaining dollars and cents at the end of it, 

 and from its adoption would come only danger of suppressing 

 horticulture. 



Leverett M. Chase was pleased with the suliject presented and 

 gratified by the essayist's method of treating it. He stated that 

 the movement in this matter, commenced by this Societ3% had 

 resulted in an application to the City Government to have the 

 arable portion of the school grounds put in charge of the City 

 Forester, and the question would come up before the City Council 

 very soon. He would ask the aid of others here. It is painful to 

 know that so much thought is given to getting money, or devoted 

 to material things, and to see how far the infinite energies of the 

 .soul are wasted. While these things are not to be despised, they 

 should not take the first and best thought. There is too little 

 thought bestowed upon spiritual welfare — upon the cultivation of 

 soul life, that it may be elevated aud that we may ])e the better 

 fitted for this life and for the life to come. 



Caleb Bates remarked tiiat being past three score years and ten, 

 he was neariug the end, but always felt an interest in the proceed- 

 ings of these meetings ; that he did not know when he came here 

 today what was to be heard, and would have liked to have a few 

 moments to collect his thoughts ; but he saw by the remarks of 

 the last speaker that the audience felt the elevating tone of the 

 essay, which had affected him greatly and he would like to say 

 what was unusual in meetings of this character. All are willing 

 to acknowledge that all the natural things in our gardens were 

 made by God, and therefore must be images of principles in the 



