August 24, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



407 



attacks upon Roses in California that even the canes were blis- 

 tered, the whole being covered with a mass of orange-colored 

 spores. Cutting and burning all affected plants is the only safe 

 treatment. 



A kind of anthracnose (GUrisporium Rosanim) sometimes 

 attacks the Rose when the leaves are small and pale, and the 

 canes die at tlic tips. Sometimes the stems may be dead for 

 a foot or more from the extremity. Not infrequently one 

 liranch will be dead clear to the base, and sometimes two or 

 more are thus destroyed. The dead twigs show pimples cpiite 

 evenly distributed over the surface, and from some, a minute, 

 often curved, horn of a reddish color protrudes. When such 

 stems are placed in a moist chamber the whole decaying sur- 

 face becomes closely covered with numerous almost briclc-red 

 masses of spores, and the disease spreads rapidly through the 

 adjoining parts of the twigs that seemed healthy when placed 

 in the moist chamber. The fungus spreads so rapidly that in 

 four days from the time spores were introduced into sterilized 

 sections of Rose-twigs in test tubes the whole of the culture 

 would be covered with the spore masses. This anthracnose 

 appears to be new in that it has not been before studied mi- 

 croscopically. 



Eel-worms, or nematodes, often work on the Rose, princi- 

 pally at antl in the roots. These microscopic worms are in 

 outline like that of an ordinary eel, and under the microscope 

 are seen in almost constant motion. They cause an enlarge- 

 ment of certain parts of the roots, and by means of these galls 

 or knots are easily detected with the naked eye when a plant 

 is removed from the soil and carefully washed of the adhering 

 earth. In order to get rid of the pest it will be of much assist- 

 ance to know where the worms come from. They are, as a 

 rule, much more abundant in warm climates than elsewhere, 

 and the unusual abundance of these pests in northern gardens 

 for the past two years is likely due to the lack of freezing of the 

 soil. The greenhouse furnishes the proper conditions for the 

 propagation of the eel-worms, provided they are there to be- 

 gin with. This naturally raises the question of how they first 

 get into the bed. They may be already in the roots of the 

 plants, but in small numbers, when the plants are placed in the 

 house. To guard against this the roots should be examined 

 as closely as possible for the galls when the beds are set. All 

 galled Roses should be excluded. The nematodes may come 

 in with the earth. They infest a large number of kinds of 

 plants, and it is an easy matter for them to come with the 

 soil. Soil that has not been used for growing plants in 

 the garden is not necessarily free, but may, if taken from 

 a pasture or meadow, contain many nematodes. Then, 

 again, they may be taken with the manure that is used. 

 Cold, in excess, will probably destroy the worms, and like- 

 wise a high temperature is fatal to them. Both of these con- 

 ditions maybe impracticable to apply to the soil, the one being 

 impossible in some cases, and the other too expensive. Rose 

 growers might make the experiment of heating the soil of a 

 small portion of the bed before setting the plants and satisfy 

 themselves if such a treatment will pay. If manure is the 

 chief vehicle of the worms it may be possible to grow Roses 

 without so much of this constituent of the rose-soil. It may 

 be that Roses can be grown with a burned soil to which all the 

 necessary elements of plant-food have been added in the form 

 of commercial fertilizer. The fact is, that the worms are do- 

 ing much damage. When they are once in a plant there is no 

 known way of driving them out. New conditions may induce 

 the formation of new roots and a sickened plant may revive, 

 but recovery is not usually to be expected. It is possible that 

 some substance may be put upon the soil that, while not in- 

 juring the Roses, may kill the worms not already in the plants. 

 Lime has been thus used and with favorable results. It is 

 sprinkled upon the surface of the bed or better mixed with the 

 soil, and each watering will tend to bring it in contact with 

 the tender bodies of the worms. It is not unlikel)' that some 

 fertilizing compound may be found that will furnish food for 

 the plants, and at the same time deal a death-blow to the 

 nematodes. Kainit may thus prove an efficient remedy, and 

 it onlv remains for some enterprising rosarian to take the 

 matter in hand and make a test of it. All thaf has been said 

 regarding the habits of the Rose eel-worms applies equally 

 well to those of the Violet, Coleus, Lantana, Bouvardia, Gera- 

 nium, and a long list of other plants that are frequent or oc- 

 casional victims to the same trouble. The treatment will vary 

 with the nature of the plant, whether annual or perennial, 

 woody or succulent, large or small. 



FLORICULTURE FOR CHILDREN. 



Mr. Robert Farquhar, of Boston, read a paper to show how 

 and why children should be trained to love and cultivate flow- 



ers. He argued that we could either stifle or strengthen the 

 love of nature which was implanted in every young heart. If 

 we encouraged and cultivated (his love the mind of the grow- 

 ing child would be opened to the beauties of nature, and we 

 should in this way provide for it a means of healthy exercise 

 out-of-doors and a source of delightful recreation all through 

 life. Children shoidd have gardens of their own to care for, 

 and they should be instructed in garden practice. They should 

 be allowed to sow the seeds and care for the plants lliem- 

 selves, although they should be directed in all these opera- 

 tions. Florists who do business in villages and towns enjoy 

 opportunities for doing effective work among children by ex- 

 plaining to their young visitors the manner of propagation by 

 sprouting seed, or by setting out the young plant with its new- 

 found rootlets from the cutting-bed. Subjects for explanation 

 are ever at hand, and the florist who takes pains to instruct his 

 little visitors will often make friends for life, and probably cus- 

 tomers, too. The claims of children should never be forgot- 

 ten in making up the lists of premiums for horticultural and 

 agricultural fairs. Prizes should be given for plants grown by 

 them and for bouquets and collections of wild flowers made 

 by them. 



Village improvement societies are doing excellent work in 

 many sections. Some have distributed seeds and plants to 

 the school children with most satisfactory results ; florists 

 should profit by this example. Any florist who so wills can 

 begin an effective village improvement society of his own 

 without expense of time or money. Usually the unsalable 

 surplus of bedding-plants is thrown away at the end of the 

 planting season. Why not give them away to the school chil- 

 dren ? Let the teacher make it known that at a certain time 

 the distribution will be made. When the eager company has 

 assembled it will take but a few minutes of time to give one 

 or more plants to each. Could a happier disposal of stock, 

 useless to the florist, but valued by the children, be made? 

 The satisfaction experienced will more than pay for the incon- 

 venience, and the giver has made an effective and enduring 

 advertisement. Unquestionably, the greater number interested 

 in floriculture the larger will the demand become for both 

 flowers and plants. Children soon grow up into patrons and 

 are worth cultivating if for business only. 



Members of this society should make a united effort to have 

 the claims, of floriculture for children, and kindred subjects, 

 recognized in all our schools. 



The merchants, lawyers and ministers who usually make up 

 our school committees rarely seek to influence education in 

 the interests of horticulture or agriculture. It is book-learn- 

 ing from beginning to end. As a consequence, we have a 

 large surplus of middle-men, and men who live by their wits. 

 Small wonder, then, that a large proportion of our best all- 

 round gardeners originally came from abroad. In most Euro- 

 pean countries school-life fosters a practical acquaintance 

 with Nature. Our children here love the beauties of nature 

 as dearly as any, and our schools should foster such love in- 

 stead of checking it. As an agricultural country America 

 stands in the front rank, and the prosperity and wealth of the 

 whole country depend upon the prosperity of those who till 

 the soil ; but these facts are entirely lost sight of in our 

 schools ; at least, no training is provided vi'hich bears directly 

 upon them. 



On this side of the Atlantic we justly pride ourselves upon 

 being in advance of European countries in most attainments. 

 We are very far behind many of them in the important matter 

 of horticultural education of children. In France there are 

 over twenty-six thousand primary and elementary schools 

 where gardening is practically taught in gardens surrounding 

 the school-houses. 



In Austria there are about eight thousand of these schools, 

 with from one-half to two acres each of cultivated land around 

 them. The grounds in the rear may be found planted with a 

 large variety of trees ; at the sides and front are shrubs and 

 flowers. One may see the teachers and pupils mingling to- 

 gether, studying interesting lessons based upon these plants, 

 it has been said that boys will sooner injure a tree than culti- 

 vate it, but Mr. Farquhar said he should not be afraid to risk 

 his trees with the boys educated at such a school. 



Our country is young, but it is rich and progressive. The 

 plain old school-buildings are going, and elegant buildings, 

 with costly appliances, are taking their places. But we should 

 not be content with fine buildings, large playgrounds and 

 good teachers. In this country more than any we need the 

 proper setting of ample grounds, filled with shrubs and flow- 

 ers to bloom from earliest spring till winter. Instead of books 

 alone, we should see to it that our children have ample oppor- 

 tunities for enjoying a lesson from the book of Nature. 



