156 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



but at any rate, to some slight degree, the beginnings of the more 

 advanced subjects. 



At the present moment children are leaving village schools thinking 

 they are good scholars, although many can scarcely write a letter, and 

 comparatively few do so well. In their opinion they know too much 

 to work, whereas a little more instruction would show them how 

 ignorant they really are. Before leaving school I would, as far as its 

 capabilities permitted, impress on the child or youth the utility of further 

 knowledge and the most approved methods of gaining it. I would, as 

 before stated, endeavour to induce him to love knowledge ; but I would not 

 attempt to force him. Show the results of industry and laziness respec- 

 tively, and help him if he chooses the former. Wherever possible, 

 continuation or evening schools should certainly be held. Subjects 

 suitable to the district should, as far as possible, be taken and dealt with in 

 an interesting manner. Make the young people if possible interested in 

 their surroundings, but in no way try to restrict their knowledge. 



To illustrate my point I will give one example — the outline of the 

 career of an enthusiastic gardener living to-day. Born of parents who for 

 generations had been connected with the cultivation of the soil, but who 

 had an intense disfavour for book knowledge, the lad was kept frequently 

 from school, and finally taken away altogether at eleven. He had entered 

 employment before he was twelve. An innate love of gardening w^as soon 

 apparent, and at an early age he distinguished himself by making floral 

 decorations and showed a great love for flowers. Unlike most other boys 

 sports had but little attraction for him ; but on summer evenings flowers 

 and other natural objects engaged his attention. By making the most of 

 opportunities, notably by winter indoor study, he succeeded in improving 

 his general knowledge. Thus at twenty we find him a fairly good 

 general scholar, with some knowledge of mathematics and the classics. At 

 twenty-four the importance of science applied to horticulture and agri- 

 culture was so very obvious to him that he wished to begin its study. 

 Difficulties, however, appeared insurmountable. A complete ignorance 

 of chemistry and physics impeded his progress. At length, through a 

 casual acquaintance, a few assorted glass tubes, crucibles, and a few 

 chemical reagents — costing altogether 2s. lOd. — were obtained, and, with 

 the addition of jam-bottles and corks, all essential work was done. One 

 prime difficulty may be worth noting. No gas or other means of bending 

 glass tubes was available. He was a beekeeper, and had some discoloured 

 wax. With the wide wick of a paraffin lamp fixed in an empty con- 

 densed milk tin and this wax a candle was made with which not only 

 the tubes were worked, but also much other useful work done, only 

 surpassed, indeed, seven years afterwards by the aid of the mechanical 

 blowpipe in one of the best laboratories in the kingdom, where finally this 

 enthusiastic lover of nature and gardening Tound himself as the result of 

 a successful competition, and the reward of his dogged perseverance. That 

 lad — now a man — passed through his years of college life with the highest 

 honours obtainable, became a successful teacher — successful not only on 

 account of enthusiasm, but also because he acted according to his views, 

 and endeavoured to teach practically. As an instructor of horticulture 

 he delighted not alone to explain, but also to do the work, until 



