kftXl o, 



1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



2tg 



THE G 



OF HORTICULTU 



«, nn rising trround in a pleasant suburb of Ghent is the cele- 

 SlTl ^ School 0 Horticulture and Agriculture of the State of Ghent. 

 h ? tC iv is? pleasantly situated, but it is admirably managed, under the 

 ¥ tic to nip of M. Emile Rodigas, whose name is a household word 

 3bI fhe hoSural community of Belgium. The school is aided by 

 Sa e and Government, and is under the special care of the Minister for 



whose portrait is published m the present issue. M. Rodigas entered the 

 Ghent School of Horticulture as one of the professors in i860, so that his 

 connection with the establishment has lasted thirty-eight years. M. 

 Rodigas is beloved by all who have been students, or who have in any 

 way been associated with him, and on at least two occasions there have 

 been great reunions and demonstrations that must have delighted him. 

 These were ra May, 1885, when he had been professor for twenty-five 

 years ; and in 1895, at the conclusion of thirty-five years' service- 

 Besides being an administrator and professor M. Rodigas is an ardent 

 lover of hardy plants, taking an especial interest in alpines, and finding 

 the greatest pleasure in conversing about them. To the stranger, as the 

 student, M. le yirecteur is equally pleasant, and those who have once 

 visited him at the school never forget to make a call when in its neigh- 

 bourhood. M. Rodigas will have plenty of visitors during the forth- 

 coming Ghent Quinquennial Show. 



11 T i° a v fford P ractical instruction for a large number of students, and in 

 all the branches of horticulture and agriculture, a large area of land is 

 necessary, so we find the State school of Ghent surrounded by about 

 eighty-four acres. This gives some variety in soils and aspects, and 

 room for plantations of forest trees, nurseries, rose garden, pinetum, glass 

 houses, &c. &c. The establishment is divided into four divisions, the 

 first being the school proper, part of which is shown in one of the illus- 

 trations ; this includes the large lecture rooms for public conferences, 

 the laboratory, school offices, and residential quarters. The second 

 division comprises the extensive glass department, and the large fruit 

 garden in which it is situated. The houses are devoted to fruit and plant 

 culture, vines, new Holland and Cape plants, and orchids are especially 

 well represented. The third division practically covers all the plants out of 

 doors excepting fruits ^vegetables are largely grown and varieties tested; 

 annuals find favour, and large breadths are grown to teach the business 

 of seed harvesting later ; herbaceous and alpine plants are freely culti- 

 vated, especially such as are serviceable for horticultural purposes, as 

 apart from purely scientific interest. One of the accompanying illustra- 

 tions shows a corner in the alpine garden, while another gives the prin- 

 1 , Division four is a comparatively new feature, 



Here 



cipal block of glasshouses. r 



and is not found close to the school, but a few minutes from it. 



M. Emtle Rodigas, 



Director ot the Ghent School of Horticulture. 



Agriculture. The various courses of lectures given and classes held are 

 such as, together with the practical work that has to be performed in the 

 extensive gardens and nursery, would give to a young and aspiring 

 horticulturist a magnificent start in his profession. A complete course of 

 instruction occupies three years, but the authorities do not confine their 

 attention entirely to the resident students. When visiting the school 

 about midday on one occasion we remarked to M. Rodigas that not bv 

 any means were all the students youths and young men. The genial 

 director pointed out that the middle-aged students did not work in the 

 scnooi grounds, but were from surround- 

 ing gardens and nurseries— men who 

 were anxious to advance themselves, 

 and to that end gave up half their 

 dinner hour to attend the lectures open 

 to them at the State school. 



A history of this famous school 

 would prove interesting reading, for in 



i'ffi d ^ S 11 had to contend with 

 T' f d,fficul A ties - It was instituted in 



S°; n on A P r ' J 2 4 of that year it was 

 iPSLS P /° Vlde SU,table instruction 



I T , students desirous of 



SS ^culture and its allied 



bv the C« v 6 SCheme was approved 

 °>tne Government on April ^ whon 



Interi" 3- and the Mini *ter of the 



are grown collections of conifers, ornamental trees and shrubs, and here 

 also are the fruit tree and other nurseries. A businesslike method 

 obtains everywhere, and there is evidence that the students take a keen 

 interest in their work as well as in their studies, and hitherto such 

 evidence has not been contradicted by the results obtained by those who 

 have passed through the prescribed course of instruction with credit. 

 As showing the capacity of the establishment, it may be noted in con- 

 nection with the fourth illustration that the laboratory allows of thirty 

 students practising at one time. 



In conclusion, it will be of interest to readers to have some idea of 

 the course of study M. Rodigas has found to be productive of the best re- 

 sults ^ when combined with practical horticultural and agricultural 

 exercises. During the first year the student is taught the Flemish, 



n Ser v? a S "l?™^ to see * executed, 

 tilted the ? hTOl h as come under 

 <WEt£ ? A e ricultu ~- Horti- 

 Belgian inH? f been one of the fading 



done more fo r a"* nothin * has 

 almost half » V advancement during 



£ «s owin" nd to Va t n h " outtef ?r, because 



i ai <he insfifut on h £ r - Un P rin S efforts 

 Thc Utter one o?^ a ' ned a fair start - 

 b road-minde d h l 6 , m °? t eminent and 

 *« maiSlv d in h ° rt,CU,tUnsts of his day, 



Dr - ''lanchon "?^ mental in sec «ring 

 Not 0nly C Rector 0 f the school 



**Mist, but he nn Planch J on a brilliant 

 J^AC^ remarkable 



^ by he c ' ^' ^ this is evi - 

 £* w up, and the de ° f "Stations he 



instituted BoTS? 8 ° f inst ™tion 



fcSi^ ^ «£S bate 5 Suit the of the 



a^onSe C t UltUral s ^oh of ^ later tLS ^ drawn U P for the P rin " 

 _ "t'es to X! . OI . Iat - e r t'mes. It was ever the aim of the 



GHENT SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE. 



s "cces s 

 and 



mathematics, 



general subjects. In natural 

 )gy, physics, chemistry, and 



Practical t UUstr 'ous professors T^ o ' r equentl y there w as a 



« i Jean Ja 



' d, ed 0I1 March 27 88^ ^^^? , Klckx > who > after * 

 lhe institution by the KlC ^ Was suc «eded in 



« oy the present director, M. Emile Rodigas, 



French and English languages, mathematics, freehand and mode 

 drawing, and physical geography as 

 science he studies botany and physiol 



geology, in addition to applied chemistry, agronomy, principles ot agri- 

 culture and horticulture, abori culture, and kitchen gardening. Anatomy, 

 designing, and planning are also added. During the second year all the 

 foregoing subjects are continued in an advanced stage, while zoology and 

 entomology, so far as these affect the student, are studied together with 

 landscape gardening, construction of glass houses, and garden archi- 



