280 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



EXAMINATION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS IN COTTAGE 

 AND ALLOTMENT GARDENING. 



Apeil 28, 1909. 



A few candidates gave serious trouble to the examiners not only by 

 mixing up their papers without reference to numerical order, but also in 

 several instances by beginning replies in Section B upon the same paper 

 as Section A. It is most important for every candidate to read carefully 

 the instructions printed above the questions and follow them exactly. 

 In numerous instances candidates sacrificed time by unduly elaborating 

 their early replies. The best work was found, as is always the case, where 

 both clearness and conciseness were combined with evidence of practical 

 knowledge. 



The Examiners, Mr. A. Dean, V.M.H., Mr. F. J. Chittenden, F.L.S., 

 and Mr. Jas. Hudson, V.M.H., report that in very few cases did there seem 

 to be any practical knowledge of " budding " in the creation of fruit trees, 

 grafting being almost solely in the minds of the candidates. In some 

 instances both Fruit-trees and Raspberries were credited with being 

 propagated from cuttings. The term " planting " was frequently applied 

 to seed sowing. Considerable confusion as to what constitutes hardiness 

 in plants prevailed. Annuals also were strangely mixed with Herbaceous 

 Plants. 



Whilst the replies, generally, with regard to School- Garden plots, were 

 satisfactory, great divergence as to their dimensions prevailed. This 

 probably arose from the diverse sizes of these plots in various localities. 

 Some of the candidates had evidently taken note of the latest regulations 

 that have been issued and benefited thereby. 



The treatment of neglected gardens — a most important feature — was 

 in some few cases treated well, and in a practical manner. 



The answers to the questions dealing with the Principles of Horticul- 

 ture were, on the whole, more satisfactory than last year. The subject of 

 manures, other than farmyard manure, is, however, one that appears to 

 require more study, and the importance of hoeing as an aid to the reten- 

 tion of water in soils was too often overlooked. 



More attention to simple illustrative experiments, simple enough to be 

 grasped by intelligent children of school age and sufficiently to the point 

 to illustrate the matters dealt with, would be well repaid. 



In the answers to the last question the deep significance of the fact 

 that the seed is the result of the union of two entities ; the consequent 

 probability of considerable variation from the characters of the seed-bear- 

 ing parent ; the probable chances of survival in a changing environment 

 and the possibly increased capacity of the seedlings for availing them- 

 selves of opportunities for colonizing new situations — all these were 

 almost entirely ignored. The difference also between the tuberous-root 

 of the dahlia and the tuber of the potato seems to have been noticed by 



