620 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



August 10, 1912. 



HORTICULTURAL 

 EDUCATION IN FRANCE* 



Tec 



(Continued from page 59(_).) 



hnical Instruction of Wine 



Growers. 



The cultivation of the vine in France must 

 be considered under two aspects : 



1. Viticulture properly called — that is to 

 say, cultivation for the production of wine, 

 the drink which is most consumed in France. 



This important part of French agriculture 

 is taught in the agricultural schools, and 

 more particularly in those belonging to the 

 vine-growing districts. There are, besides, two 

 special schools : The National School of Yiti- 

 culture of Montpellier (Herault), and the 

 Practical School of Viticulture of Beaune 



(Cote d'Or). 



2. Cultivation of grapes for the table. 

 This" cultivation constitutes one of the 



principal branches of fruit tree growing; it 

 is taught as an integral part of arboricul- 

 ture. 



Cultivation in greenhouses, which^ during 

 the last twenty years, has made remarkable 

 progress in France, is taught and practised 

 with success at the National Horticultural 

 School of Versailles, where some special 

 houses have been built concurrently with 

 the greenhouses for forced peaches and other 

 fruit trees subjected to this kind of culti- 

 vation. 



In certain parts of French territory, more 

 particularly in the districts of the North and 

 neighbouring regions, the business of forcing- 

 houses and grape-houses is most important 

 and prosperous. 



Technical Instruction 

 Small Countrv Cuiti 



of the 



Here 



again 



family education plays the 

 principal role. The father transmits to his 

 children some portions of ground fertilised 

 by his labours, with materials patiently got 

 together, with cattle raised and fed through 

 his jealous care, with the modest pecuniary 

 resources slowly and laboriously accumulated 

 little by little, and also conveys the tradition 

 of his work, which he takes the precaution 

 to show to his posterity as soon as they are 

 able to assist him in his modest but indepen- 

 dent and noble task. 



In France country families of this kind 

 are very numerous; in fact, one can say that 

 they constitute the majority of the popula- 

 tion, the most healthy part, the most virile, 

 and the vital strength of he country. 



Though for a considerable time rather 

 against professional instruction by technical 

 classes and lectures, the small French culti- 

 vator now sends many of his children to agri- 

 cultural schools, and more particularly, as 

 is to be expected, to those which answer their 

 requirements the best (practical schools, 

 farming schools, elementary agricultural 

 schools, etc.). 



It is this source which provides the major- 

 ity of the pupils '^t our great Vati >nal Hor- 

 ticultural School at Versailles, and one can 

 say of this school, which has acquired a place 

 of honour in French horticulture, that it is 

 really the work of the sons of our small cul- 

 tivators — the children of our rural demo- 

 cracy. 



Horticultural Desrrees. 



The special official horticultural degree, 



the highest to be obtained in France, is that 



given by the National Horticultural School 



of Versailles at the end of the three years' 



course of study, and bears the modest title 



of Diplome de*^ TEcole Nationale d'Horticul- 

 ture. 



This degree is given by the Minister of 

 Agriculture after severe examinations, which 

 are more and more diflScult to measure as 

 the level of the instruction is advanced in 

 this remarkable institution, and is worthy 

 in all respects of the great and universal 

 renown of French horticulture. 

 This 



without a high- 

 horticultural 



diplome, though 

 sounding name, has a ^reat 

 value, because it is only given to those pupils 

 who are truly worthy to receive it. 



It is necessary to say that certain people 

 consider this title too humble, and are of 

 opinion it should be transformed to the 

 more high-sounding title of "Diiplome d'ln- 



genieur Horticole."' 



Beyond the diplome already mentioned, 

 " Certificats d'etude" are given, the posses- 

 sion of which allows the holder to have a 

 certain number of pupils who, although not 

 passing very high in their examinations, have 

 shown they have sufficient knowledge to en- 

 able them in some measure to do good prac- 

 tical work. 



The certificated pupils taking the highest 



places in the school of Versailles can obtain 

 from the Minister of Agriculture a course 

 in horticulture, either in France or abroad. 



The title of Stagiaire is very superior, and 

 very much sought after by the pupils of the 

 National School of Horticulture; it consti- 

 tutes for them a powerful stimulant. 



Diplomas and Certificatesi 

 other than those g^iven by 



the State. 



The various French Schools of Horticul- 

 ture and Arboriculture other than that of 

 Versailles, and not depending upon the State, 

 but of the towns and counties — as that of St. 

 Mande (Seine), of Villepreux and of St. Cyr 

 (Seine and Oise), d'Hyeres (Var), d'Antibes 

 (Alpes-Maritimes), or even of congregations 

 (Asile de Fleury-Meudon, Ecole St, Nicolas 

 dTgny, Asile Fenelon a Vaujours, etc.) — ^also 

 give diplomas or certificates of special study, 

 but these titles are hardly of any value out- 

 side the interested establishments. 



It is the same thing with the organised lec- 

 tures or classes organised by the societies, 

 counties, municipalities, etc. 



The means by which gardeners of all classes 

 can obtain information and advice. 



1. The Agricultural Bureaux to the Gov- 

 ernment. — No official service of information 

 or advice exists in France, so far as horticul- 

 ture is specially concerned. This has yet to 

 be completely organised. It is true that the 

 Minister of Agriculture has at his disposal 

 two organs, viz.: — 



1. The monthly report of the office of agri- 

 cultural information. 



2. The Minister of Agriculture's circular of 

 information. 



Moreover, besides the fact that horticul- 

 ture has only what may be called an insignifi- 

 cant place here, these publications are only 

 sent gratuitously to the principal officials of 

 the Department of Agriculture. 



Neither the one nor the other can then be 

 considered as answering this service fully. 

 It is almost exclusively by the horticultural 

 societies, by means of their journals and re- 

 ports, and by the horticultural press, that 

 the information referred to can be obtained. 



Bulletins and Journals Pub 



lished by Societies. 



All the French horticultural societies, and 

 all the horticultural unions, have special 

 organs of their own, which are published for 

 the u^ of members of those associations, and 

 the importance and frequency of issue of 

 each depends principally upon the resources 

 at their command. As a rule they are pub- 

 lished monthly; sometimes, however, it is 

 only quarterly, and in exceptional cases 

 every six months or else annually. 



These organs are, before all other things, 

 intended for the publication of the activities 

 of the society, the proceedings of meetings, 

 the accounts of shows and exhibitions, visits 

 to growers, horticultural events of local in- 

 terest in the particular district, etc. 



Certain of these publications are remark- 

 able for the interesting matter which they 

 contain, the diversity of the subject treated, 

 and the care and trouble with which they 

 have been studied. 



The most important of these publication^, 

 and at the same time the most interesting and 

 reliable, is, without doubt, the "Journal of 

 the National Horticultural Society of France," 

 which ap]x?ars very regularly on the lOth of 

 each month, in an Sin. pamphlet, containing 



from 50 to 100 pages, and is sent to each of 

 the members. 



Note. — The volume for 1910 contains 1,003 

 pages, of which 100 pages contain advice upon 

 different matters. 



The importance of this publication has in- 

 creased from year to year since the founda- 

 tion of the society in 1827, and in a measure 

 has helped to increase the latter's prosperity. 



At the end of 1909 the society had: 16 

 members of honour, 11 patrons^ 36 corre- 

 sponding members, 9 perpetual members, 58 

 life members, 131 lady patronesses, 3,650 

 shareholder's, 266 honorary members, 304- so- 

 cieties and corresponding institutions. In all 

 4,481 members, which shows an increase of 

 1,457 over the number in 1899. 



The "Journal of the National Horticul- 

 tural Society of France" contains copies of 

 the official documents, the minutes of the pro- 

 ceedings of all meetings, the reports re- 

 ceived upon the different exhibitions and 

 shows, various reports from it^ delegates, 

 original articles on technical subjects, studies 

 of different questions concerning horticul- 

 ture, etc. 



Numerous photo prints interspersed in the 

 text still further increase the interest in this 

 remarkable publication . 



Several provincial horticultural societies, 

 as, for instance, those of Lyons, Nancy, Lille, 

 etc., themselves also publish reports and 

 journals which, without having the impor- 

 tance of the "Journal of the National Hor- 

 ticultural Society of France," have not less 

 real interest in them above all fro: 

 of view of local horticulture. 



the point 



Finally, one ought to mention, while on 

 this subject, the Keport of the Association 

 of Old Pupils of the National School of Horti- 

 culture of Versailles, an a^ssociation founded 

 in 1882, and which can boast, with only a few 

 exceptions, almost all it-s former pupils. 



This report has a permanent place amongst 

 the miembers of the as*>ociartion and the 

 school. It gives the news of the school and 

 makes known the position of each of the 

 members, the works, prizes, and the success 

 of everybody. Open to all, it publishes 

 studies and original articles which are the 

 more appreciated because they are written 

 by old comrades and friends. It also gives 

 a register of deaths of its members. It ap- 

 pears at the commencement of each year, and 

 is brought up to date by a monthly publica- 

 tion which, under the title of the Monthly 

 Bulletin and Circular,'* contains the changes 

 of address, the marriages, births, deaths, 

 the distinctions and honorary duties of the 

 members, the news relative to the association 

 and the school, the positions vacant, estab- 

 lishments to let, etc., etc. 



This circular, which is of great interest to 

 members of the association, is confided to 

 the care of the Printing Committee, who 

 acquit themselves very well and very con- 

 scientiously of their task, their iservices being: 

 rendered gratuitously. In the page of in- 

 formation each member has the right to an 

 announcement of three lines, free, and for 

 every additional line he has to pay 50c. 



French Periodicails on Horti- 

 culture. 



However important, however well done or 

 useful the "Journal of the National Horti- 

 cultural Society of France'* might be, it 

 cannot contain" sufficient for the intelligen'^ 

 and studious horticulturist who is anxious w 

 keep himself up to date in all movements and 

 progress in horticulture, and to increase his 

 technical knowledge. The publication in 

 question does not addre^fi itself to the great 

 mass of cultivators of gardens, but only to 

 thoFe who form a part of tTlis big society- 

 that is to sav, thotie who pay the subscrip- 

 tion, which is quite high enough (20 francs 

 for members who are shareholders, and 

 francs for ladies who are patronesses). 

 has not, then, in any true sense a popular 

 and professional publication. , 



It is the same thing w^ith regard to tJio 

 reports and journals of other horticultural 

 societies and particularly so in the case 

 the Report of the Afisociation of Old P«P^ " 

 of the National School of Horticulture ax 



