EXAMINATIONS IN HORTICULTURE, 1910 



459 



EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS IN COTTAGE AND 

 ALLOTMENT GARDENING. 



April 27, 1910. 



Three hundred and sixty-two candidates presented themselves for 

 the Examination of School Teachers in Cottage and Allotment 

 Gardening held on April 27, 1910, an increase of 75 per cent, on 

 the previous year. 



The Examiners, Mr. Alexander Dean, V.M.H., Mr. F. J. Chitten- 

 den, P.L.S., and Mr. Jas. Hudson, V.M.H., report that they 'have 

 experienced much difficulty (entailing delay in the issue of the 

 pass list) through candidates faihng to comply with the printed 

 instructions for the conduct of the examination. This applies 

 particularly to the answering of two or more questions on the same 

 sheet of foolscap, although each sheet had a plainly printed heading 

 " Commence each question on a fresh sheet." This carelessness was 

 not to be expected from school teachers accustomed to examinations, 

 the more so since it has not been experienced in the three examinations 

 of the Society for gardeners held this year under precisely similar 

 Begulations. 



In Section A many candidates were too discursive, and wasted 

 time in enlarging on the botanical or physical nature of plants rather 

 than concisely expressing their practical knowledge of the actual 

 cultivation, when such information only was required by the question. 

 What diversity of opinion was given upon the quantity of seedipeas 

 needful to sow a row thirty feet long ! The Examiners were told 

 varying measures, ranging from a quarter of a pint to a quart. 



In most answers on Successional Cropping the routine was correctly 

 described, but the replies of many showed a want of practical 

 experience. Opportunity to enter the realities of applied knowledge 

 in vegetable gardening should be sought for and found. 



A marked improvement was discernible in familiarity with Fruit 

 and Flower Culture, and there was evidence of dependence on personal 

 observation rather than on the authority of text-books. The touch of 

 actual practical knowledge of flowers gave a finish to the answers 

 not perceivable in the case of vegetables. ! 



In Section B there was also an improvement on last year, a greater 

 proportion of the candidates having given attention to illustr,ative 

 experiments. Still, many have again regarded a statement of a 

 fact as proof of its truth, and a paraphrase of a question as' an 

 answer to it. . ■ 



