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R. S. D«e. 62. A. I. 6. 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
STATES RELATIONS SERVICE,. 
A. C. TBUE, Director 
HOME FLORICULTURE AND HOME-GROUND 
IMPROVEMENT. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. 1 
By H. P. Barrows, Specialist in Agricultural Education. 
HOME FLORICULTURE. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The growing of flowers about the home is considered generally of aesthetic 
rather than economic importance. Likewise, a consideration of the subject in 
school is often considered more appropriate for girls and small children rather 
than for boys in the high school. No doubt exists that flowers have a true 
cultural value, that children will develop into better and broader men and 
women because they have the privilege of working in a flower garden. Do not 
boys need this cultural influence as well as girls? We should keep in mind 
also the economic importance of floriculture. In many districts a profitable 
market may be worked up for the products of the flower garden. In any 
section the value of property may be enchanced and civic pride developed 
through the carrying out of an organized plan to grow more flowers. 
RELATION OF SUBJECT TO COURSE OF STUDY. 
A phase of horticulture. — This subject should form a part of a general course 
in horticulture. It should be preceded by lessons in plant propagation, in 
which special attention is given to the development of plants in the seed bed 
and hotbed and to such forms of asexual propagation as slips and cuttings. 
Although lessons in home floriculture may be complete in themselves, they 
also may be considered properly as a foundation for much that should be 
given in home-ground ornamentation. 
In sections adjacent to large cities it may be advisable and practical to give 
a special course in floriculture, in which the commercial aspects of the subject 
are considered of primary importance, and for such a course the students should 
have the use of a greenhouse ; but the details of management of such a course 
are beyond the scope of this paper. Here floriculture will be considered as 
fitting the rural high-school curriculum, in which the home flower garden is 
of first importance and the production of flowers for sale a secondary con- 
sideration. 
Correlations. — If the lessons in floriculture follow lessons in botany, the 
students will find abundant opportunity for application of botanical principles. 
They can not do justice to plant culture unless they know how plants grow. 
A general knowledge of «the classification of plants will add a good deal of 
1 Prepared under the direction of C. H. Lane, Chief Specialist in Agricultural Education, 
States Relations Service. 
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