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August 25, 1904. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review^ 



655 



John A. Pettigrew. 



This is a step in the right direction, and 

 is a striiing contrast to the uninviting 

 exteriors of the generality of the old 

 school buildings. Pupils of the schools 

 60 adorned cannot but be benefited by 

 the influence of nature so attractively 

 and constantly set before their eyes. Now 

 that nature studies have become a part 

 of the curriculum of almost every school, 

 the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers 

 in the school grounds gives material 

 close at hand for practical demonstra- 

 tions, and for identification and botan- 

 ical study; but, pre-eminently, calling in 

 the aid of horticulture makes the school- 

 house and grounds homelike and attract- 

 ive, awakening in the children an inter- 

 est in nature at a time when the mind is 

 receptive of artistic influences. 



Realizing the importance of horticul- 

 ture in its relation to the education of 

 children, the Civic League of Boston, 

 three years ago, appointed a committee 

 to establish school gardens. The work 

 has proved interesting and successful, 

 the children striving to outdo each other 

 in the care of their plots. 



On Home Grounds. 



Horticulture should have an important 

 part in the home life. In England, the 

 cultivation of flowers is almost universal 

 among the cottagers. Little unkempt or 

 waste land is found there around the 

 homes of the working people. Vege- 

 tables, flowers and shrubs are planted, 

 and the workman hurries from his daily 

 employment to his labor of love, the 

 garden. Houses are often embowered 

 in roses or other climbing plants, which 

 contribute greatly to the charming effect 

 of English villages, often noted by trav- 

 elers. It is to be regretted that such 



enthusiasm in the cultivation of home 

 gardens does not obtain here. The work 

 of improvement associations and kindred 

 societies, however, is doing much to 

 arouse interest in this direction, and it 

 is to be hoped that the day is not far 

 distant when every occupier of a house 

 will plant and beautify the grounds.. 

 There is no home so humble but can be 

 made more cheerful by the cultivation 

 of a few plants. A window-box of nas- 

 turtiums, if nothing else, on the outside, 

 has its influence for good on the dweller 

 in the tenement. Nowhere do flowers 

 grow so near the heart as at home, and 

 how many men and women carry with 

 them through life the refining influences 

 of the flowers, which, in their youth, 

 beautified the home garden! 



Boston's Playgrounds. 



A natural step following the establish- 

 ment of parks in cities was the setting 

 apart of playground areas. While play- 

 grounds were to be found in most of the 

 large parks, it was found that, in parks 

 of small size, ornamental planting and 

 ball playing did not consort well to- 

 gether. Large parks were few and far 

 between. The growth of the city cov- 

 ered, year by year, the vacant ground 

 hitherto available for play. It became, 

 therefore, necessary that playgrounds 

 should be provided for boys and young 

 men. In the last few years this move- 

 ment has been very active. Boston, out- 

 side of its larger parks, has twenty-one 

 playgrounds in use under the control of 

 the park department. These playgrounds 

 range from one-half of an acre to sev- 

 enty-four acres. Many of these play- 

 grounds contain comers for children, 

 where apparatus is provided for their 



use and where female teachers are in 

 charge. In 'one of the playgrounds the 

 Civic League has introduced children's 

 gardens with great success. The gardens 

 are on the tree border, which surrounds 

 two sides of the playground, and are 

 fenced off from the general playground 

 and flying balls by high, woven, wire 

 fencing. A low fence is on the street 

 side. The gardens are about eight feet 

 by three feet, and number about 200. 

 Great interest is manifested by the 

 children in their little plots, and large 

 quantities of flowers and vegetables are 

 raised, under the direction of teachers, 

 by the little gardeners, who are proud 

 to be able to take home substantial evi- 

 dences of their skill and industry. As 

 an instance of the success of the scheme 

 it may be mentioned that 880 ears of 

 sweet corn have been gathered to date, 

 this season. This playground is in a 

 thickly populated district which the 

 police department maintains has been 

 much benefited by its establishment. 

 So far as is practicable, without inter- 

 fering with their use for play, all Bos- 

 ton 's playgrounds are ornamented with 

 trees, and, in some cases, with shrub- 

 bery. One of Cambridge's largest play- 

 grounds is beautifully bordered with 

 masses of trees and shrubbery. 



Thus we see that horticulture occupies 

 an important position in city and home 

 life. Its possibilities of larger adapta- 

 tion and development are very great in 

 its relation to the health, comfort and 

 general well-being of the people, espe- 

 cially, as said before, in its application 

 to street adornment; and no more im- 

 portant field of labor can be found ^or 

 this society than to use its influence 

 energetically for the provision for trees 

 in the streets and waysides. This work 

 is entirely within the scope of the soci- 

 ety's aims. It is one covering the inter- 

 ests of humanity in general, and is well 

 worthy of the best efforts of the society 

 toward its accomplishment. 



ROSES. 



Training, Disbudding and Cultivating. 



The work mostly needing attend- 

 ing to during the next week or two will 

 be training, disbuduing and cultivating. 

 At this season, when the plants should 

 be growing vigorously, there should be 

 no delay or neglect in this work. 



By keeping the shoots in proper posi- 

 tion, syringing can be more effectively 

 done and freer circulation of air among 

 the leaves can be obtained, while if the 

 shoots are left to trail on the ground they 

 will, by reason of the exclusion of light 

 and sunshine, be sure to make weak eyes, 

 which will make weak, strawy wood, 

 which, in turn, will form eyes from 

 which nothing can be expected but blind 

 wood. 



This is especially the case with such 

 varieties as Bride and Bridesmaid and 

 will eventually necessitate a cutting or 

 thinning out of such rubbish, whereas, 

 by careful training every leaf can be 

 preserved and made to perform its part 

 in the encouragement of more vigorous 

 root action, development and maturing 

 of eyes fit to produce strong flov^er bear- 

 ing stems. 



Some varieties, such as Liberty and 

 Kaiserin, which have a tendency to pro- 

 duce strong canes and a consequent small- 

 er crop of side wood, do not require 

 so much attention and care in this re- 

 spect, while such varieties as Golden Gate 

 and Ivory, which in their earlier stages 



