26 



THE GARDENERS- MAGAZINE. 



January 13, 1912. 



THE HORTICULTURAL 



EDUCATION MOVEMENT, 



The importance of a well-devised scheme 

 of horticultural education is now fully re- 

 _tii&ed by those who are keenly interested 

 in the gardening art, and as the result 

 of the strong feeling that exists among the 

 more advanced thinkers with regard to the 

 necessity for a reform in the existing 

 methods a movement is now on foot that 

 can hardly fail to have a far-reaching 

 effect upon the progress of horticulture. 

 Whether the movement will bring about 

 results that will prove advantageous to the 

 artj and those engaged in the several 

 branches thereof, belongs to the future, 

 but there need be no apprehensions as to 

 their proving otherwise than satisfactory. 

 Public opinion has undergone a remarkable 

 change in relation to educational matters 

 within the last two decades, and there is 

 very little, if any, danger of thase, who 

 are actively interested in the question 

 suggesting schemes in which paper work 



strengthened, and have practical effect 

 igiven to them. 



The feelings that have prompted those 

 who have been instrumental in calling at- 

 tention to the necessity for the higher 

 education of those engaged in the several 

 branches of horticulture are such as to 

 merit the fullest sympathy. It is felt that 

 to achieve success in the management of 

 a private garden, or a commercial establish- 

 ment of any considerable- size, something 

 more than an acquaintance with the prac- 

 tical details is necessary, A practical ac- 

 quaintance with the multiferous details of 

 garden and nursery work is acknow- 

 ledged to be essential^ but the opinion is 

 held that those whose equipment is limited 

 to them, are placed at a considerable dis- 

 advantage, as compared with those who 

 have also a knowledge of the scientific 

 aspects of horticulture. In the case of 

 those who aspire to the management of a 

 private, or nursery establishment of the 

 first class^ or to the position of a park super- 

 intendent, the combination of science with 

 piactice is a necessity. It is also recog- 



BLSli APPLE TKEE CLAYGATE PEARMAIN 



That has been properly root-pruned. 



will have undue prominence. Twenty years 

 ago text books were regarded as all sufficient 

 tor the puriK)ses of general education, but 

 1 J i*egarded as essential that pupils 

 should be taught to use their powers of 

 observation, and take some part in such 

 practical work as may be associated with 

 the subjects that are being studied. In 

 connection with the teaching of gardening 

 m elementary schools, the value, and, in- 

 deed, the necessity for practical work ' has 

 obtained the fullest recognition as evi- 

 denced by the fact that there 'are now 

 not less than 2,000 school gardens in this 

 country. At the University College, Read, 

 ing, the Royal Horticultural Society's Gar- 

 dens, Wisley, and some other institutions 

 where systematic instruction is given in 

 horticulture, the utmost importance is at- 

 r^M^^ practical details of cultural 

 methods, and it, therefore, occupies a pro. 

 mment position in the several curricula. 

 With these facts before us we may safelv 

 assume that as the advantages of the 

 newer educational methods become etill 

 more manifest, the opinions held with 

 regard to a proper combination or prac- 

 tical and theoretical work will be greatly 



nised that as a body gardeners are not re- 

 cognised in awordance with their abilit'es 

 and it is felt that the result of an im- 



raining would so raise 

 their status as to bring about an ameliora- 

 tion of their financial position. These 

 briefly stated, appear to be the considera- 

 tions that have influenced those who are 

 taking a leading part in the movement, and 

 they are well deserving of the most careful 

 attention. 



It will be readily understood by those 

 who are careful to examine questions, as 

 they arise, from all sides, that any mate- 

 rial change in educational methods, in their 

 relation to horticulture will involve some ad- 

 ditional sacrifice on the part of the parents 

 of those who purpose entering on a gar- 

 dening career, and reduce during the 

 period of training the time the students 

 will have for recreation. In other 

 words, the boys will have to remain lont^er 

 at school, and also to devote more time to 

 study after they have entered the garden 

 or nursery, if they have a desire to obtain 

 positions in the front rank. Having re- 

 gard to the increased cost of education, and 

 the strenuous endeavour to master the 



principles, as well as beoome proficient in 

 practice, it is not unreasonable to ask 

 whether the probable advantages will be 

 a sufficient compensation. Should the ques- 

 tion be asked the answer must be in the 

 affirmative. All knowledge that is properly 

 understood and rightly applied is an ad- 

 vantage, inasmuch as it expands the mind, 

 broadens the outlook, and creates a greater 

 interest in life. But a knowledge of the 

 principles on which good practice must be 

 based will be of much assistance in the e„ 

 deavour to achieve a high degree of suc- 

 cess in the management of horticultural es. 

 tablishments. 



^ It should be understood that the educa- 

 tional movement is not a matter that only 

 affects one branch of horticulture. It 

 concerns all who are connected therewith, 

 and is, therefore, of much interest to those 

 connected with commercial establishments, 

 as well as those engaged in private gar- 

 dens, and especially to those who are de- 

 sirous of engaging in the teaching of gar- 

 dening, whether as horticultural instruc- 

 tors or teachers in training colleges. There 

 are at present some 2,000 school gardens, 

 and it is rea.sonable to assume that this 

 number will be largely iiicrease^l at no dis- 

 tant date. These gardens are cultivated 

 under the direction of school teachers, 

 who have, for the most part, had to ob- 

 tain their knowledge of gardening by at- 

 tending vacation classes, Saturday after- 

 noon lectures, and so forth, and they have 

 done very well. There is, 'however, room 

 for improvement, and it is recognised that 

 gardening should be included in the curri- 

 cula of training colleges. Consequently, it 

 may be assumed that this will be done 

 within a few years hence, and that a 

 demand will arise for men fully qualified 

 to teach both principles and practice. 

 It may be that with a fuller appreciation 

 on the part of County Councils of the 

 importance of gardening to the community 

 there will be some extension of the de- 

 mand for the services of horticultural in- 

 structors, and that those who by strenuous 

 endeavour have obtained such distinction 

 as may be regarded as the hall mark of 

 efficiency will be able to command a higher 

 rate of remuneration than that which now 

 in many instances obtains. It is most im- 

 portant horticultural instruction in the 

 oounties should remain in the hands of men 

 who are masters of the practical details, as 

 well as of the principles, but to ensure this 

 horticulturists must undergo a course of 

 training that will enable them to obtain 

 such distinction as will be accepted as a 

 proof of efficiency. At present there is no 

 such distinction, but it may be anticipated 

 that a scheme for the provision of a suit- 

 able diploma will be formulated as the 

 result of the labours of the committee re- 

 cently appointed by the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society for dealing with this impor- 

 tant question, and of the conference on 

 eclucation that will be held in conjunction 

 with the Royal International Horticultural 

 Jiixhibition in May next. 



There lias yet to be formulated a scheme 

 of horticultural education on systematic 

 lines, and yet sufficiently elastic to admit 

 ot It being adapted to the requirements of 

 tue various classes engaged in horticultural 

 pursuits. We may have to wait some time 



■ ^^ill come in due course, and 



It fully smte<l to the neerls of the case it 

 will m a few years hence given to garden- 

 nig mc-oa.s.Hl interest, ;nul to those pngago<l 

 ttUMciu a iniifli inijiroved status. There is 

 ample just ficntion for the hope that the 

 anticipato<l scheme will prove beneficial he- 

 eause of the remarkable consensus' of 

 opinion as to the importance of a proper 

 eo-ordmation of practice and science In 

 horticultural education « 



