FOURTH NATIONAL FLOWER SHOW 15 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY OF AMERICA— (Continued) 
mums submitted to them. These committees meet every Saturday during the 
months of October and November, and each variety of chrysanthemum scoring 
85 points is awarded the C. S. A. certificate of merit. By this means the dis- 
semination of undesirable varieties is curtailed, and to this is largely due the 
high standard which the chrysanthemum has attained. 
OFFICERS FOR 1916. 
President, Wm. KJeinheinz, Ogontz, Pa. 
Vice-President, Wm. Vert, Port Washington, L. I., N. Y, 
Treasurer, John N. May, Summit, N. J. 
Secretary, Chas. W. Johnson, 2134 W. iioth Street, Chicago, 111. 
"SCHOOL GARDENING" 
Our country is so large that to nationalize any movement is no small work, 
and to hold the interest of each section in particular work or object is difficult, 
but one effort to stir up common interest certainly meets with a well nigh 
universal appreciation, and that is "School Gardening." 
The florists of this country are in a trade that helps greatly to develop 
beauty all around, and in the efforts made by the Society of American Florists 
and Ornamental Horticulturists to stimulate interest in some practical labor, 
by teaching in our schools a Httle gardening and floriculture, reports come from 
many points which show without question that the effort is having a helpful 
result. 
Schools can never take the place of parental oversight and encouragement. 
In one dark back yard brought to our notice, overshadowed by other buildings, 
two boys came to invite us "to come see our garden." Sure enough, those 
youngsters had dug up a bit of waste ground, planted it, weeded and watered 
the ten or dozen feet square, which looked like an irrigated patch near Denver, 
Colo., so prolific it was, and these lads were pleased. This kind of work aids 
to develop American citizens of character. In many villages and small towns 
improvement societies exist, and these societies are usually excellent supporters 
of the florists' craft, directly and indirectly. By small prizes well distributed 
children are encouraged to keep up the home yards. 
School Gardening has its greatest application in our great cities. School 
Gardening aims to take hold and interest the city boys. At a flower show held 
in New York City in the Museum of Natural History, the school children came 
in classes to view the exhibits. They are children born in congested sections 
of New York, and some of them never had been in the country, and the wonder 
at seeing so many flowers was expressed without reserve. 
In the city of Philadelphia the school garden work is well organized, and 
the back yards of the thousands of little houses reveal a taste and industry 
of great importance to any one. 
A truth full of vitality in the 20th Century is: "He that tilleth his land 
shall be satisfied with bread. Much food is in the tillage of the poor; but there 
is that which is destroyed for want of judgment." — Solomon, King of Israel. 
Benjamin Hammond, 
Chairman School Garden Committee, 
Beacon, Dutchess Co., N. Y. Society American Florists. 
