80 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
After luncheon Commissioner Langmuir proposed a 
toast to King Edward and the President of the United 
States. It was responded to by President Woodruff, 
who toasted the host and the Park Commissioners. 
A speech in response was made by Commissioner 
Campbell, of Toronto. Mrs. Hall responded to the 
toast to the Woman’s Auxiliary. 
Wednesday July 8, Evening Session. 
The opening of the evening session was sadly de- 
layed by the lateness of the arrival of the officers of 
the Ladies’ Auxiliary, who had gone to an afternoon 
tea. The meeting was held in the dining room of the 
hotel. It was called to order by President Woodruff, 
who introduced H. D. Hemenway, director of the 
School of Horticulture, Hartford, Conn., as chairman 
of the meeting. 
The chief speaker of the evening was Professor W. 
J. Spillman, agrostologist of the Department of Agri- 
culture, Washington, D. C., whose subject was the 
“Significance of the School Garden Movement.” 
Prof. Spillman spoke briefly of the progress that 
has been made in the United States within the past 
ioo years, but the criticism has been made that all 
that progress was strictly utilitarian and that not much 
had been done for the quickening of the aesthetic 
tastes of the people. He predicted “that the forest and 
the prairie having been subdued and the principal ave- 
nues of commerce established, there was reason to ex- 
pect greater progress in things of less material char- 
acter.” 
He dwelt at length on the faults which exist in our 
public school system, saying that it had descended 
from a system meant exclusively for the education of 
those destined to the higher professions, and he be- 
moaned the fact that it was not suited to the needs 
of an American citizenship where there were children 
to be sent out who would not turn to the professions 
for a livelihood. Then he started on the subject 
assigned, “Significance of School Garden Movement,” 
and said that it was a very long step in the right di- 
rection. He thought that it would have a tendency to 
bring into harmony the two great phases of our nation- 
al life, the aesthetic and the industrial. He said that it 
was “an entering wedge which is to separate us from 
tradition and to give a newer and a sounder philosophy 
of education.” 
“We have heard a great deal,” said the speaker, 
“about the drift from the country to the city. Perhaps 
this movement, properly fostered, may start a current 
in the opposite direction to the benefit of both city and 
country.” 
The speaker pleased his listeners by saying that the 
National Agricultural Department bad taken up the 
school garden movement with so much enthusiasm that 
it is to be a very important feature of the national dis- 
plav at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, one por- 
tion of the outdoor exhibit being a garden superin- 
tended by Mr. Hemenway, and under his direction it 
will be conducted as a working garden by the children 
of a neighboring school. Another portion will be as- 
signed to teachers in the Indian school, and those plots 
will be tended by children directly descended from 
the aboriginal tribes which formerly occupied the 
Louisiana Purchase. 
Mr. Crawford, of Philadelphia, asked how school 
gardens could be provided for in cities like Philadel- 
phia. Prof. Spillman suggested roof gardens or va- 
cant lots. 
Reports of work bv members of the National School 
Garden Committee were next in order. Edward Hyatt, 
of California, reported : California is 1,000 miles long 
and it is hard to report for the whole state. In River- 
side there are 40 school gardens. Much progress has 
been made and many little gardens have been cared 
for by the children in small country schools. 
H. D. Hemenway, of Connecticut, reported: The 
School of Horticulture is educating the teachers of that 
state in the art of gardening with a view of extending 
the school garden work. The greatest trouble is the 
lack of funds and of the necessary knowledge on the 
part of teachers. 
Wesley Webb, of Delaware, reported the planting 
of trees, shrubs and flowers about the school grounds. 
The report of Committeeman of the District of Co- 
lumbia was very complete, and described the work that 
was being done in Washington at length. 
Mr. A. G. Bennett reported for Florida. He said 
there was a great need of school gardens in his state. 
O. J. Kern reported for Illinois, enclosing clippings, 
etc. 
John Spencer reported for New York State. He 
said that they wanted to teach agriculture in schools, 
but in order to avoid the charge of class favoritism 
they called it “Nature Study.” He described what he 
called egg shell farms, which enabled every child to 
have two or three little farms of his own. 
I11 the state 427 school grounds had been improved 
by the children without expense to the taxpayers or 
the state. He advocated the use of perennial flowers 
and shrubs. 
Mr. F. M. Pennock, of Porto Rico, reported on the 
work there. He said that education in that island 
was becoming more and more practical. 
Miss Young, of Wisconsin, reported regarding the 
settlement gardens of Milwaukee, under the auspices 
of the Woman’s Auxiliary. 
Prof. Wheeler, of Washington, 111 ., who is to have 
charge of the school garden exhibit at the St. Louis 
Exposition, said that he hoped for excellent results 
from the exhibit. About an acre will be devoted to the 
work. 
Mr. Stevens, of St. Louis, Mo., spoke of the work 
there. 
