February, 1916 
11 
The Staten Island Garden Club, a thriving organization, shares with the 
local Antiquarian Society the Old Perine mansion in the Dongan Hills. 
It has begun to restore the grounds among its other community labors 
Photo by Johnston & Hewitt Studio 
In restoring the house the classic 
simplicity has been preserved 
throughout. The decorations were 
by Miss Swift 
the small town may be many and 
varied, so a little practical advice as to 
meetings may not be out of place. The 
hour for meetings should vary in 
spring, summer and autumn. Late 
afternoon is almost invariably the time 
which suggests itself for midsummer 
gatherings ; earlier in the day for spring 
and autumn conferences. Always have 
on the table of the presiding of¬ 
ficer a few specimen flowers or 
foliage cuttings, correctly 
labelled. This is a stimulus 
which acts in many directions. 
Allow as little business as pos¬ 
sible to come before regular 
meetings—bend all your ener¬ 
gies there to discussion of the 
horticultural subject. Accu¬ 
mulate as rapidly as may be a 
few good books as the nucleus 
of a club library, never con¬ 
sidering Bailey’s great Cyclo¬ 
paedia of Horticulture as any¬ 
thing but a necessity, though 
you may be compelled to call 
it an eventual one. Lists of 
garden books can be had from 
anyone who has really studied 
the subject, hut such lists 
should be more discriminating 
than those I have thus far 
chanced to see. Many worth¬ 
less books are usually included 
in them. An examining mem¬ 
ber, herself a practical gar¬ 
dener, on the Library Com¬ 
mittee of a garden club would 
be well. 
If a regular course should be 
desired by any garden club, the 
compiling of a programme 
should not he difficult. One 
such already exists arranged by 
(Continued on page 68) 
at the discretion of the 
hostess. 
Article 8. Dues: 
Article 9. This would have to 
do with a person or com¬ 
mittee whose business it shall 
be to arrange the exchang¬ 
ing of plants or cuttings be¬ 
tween members. 
For the very informal and 
absolutely democratic garden 
club which we have in my 
special dwelling-place, although 
we are fifty odd in number, a 
President, two Vice-presidents 
and a Recording Secretary, 
who is also Treasurer, are all 
that we feel to be essential in 
the way of officers. Our dues 
are but twenty-five cents a 
year—our meetings are held 
about once a month from 
February (catalogues fresh 
upon us!) to October. No 
club could be simpler than this 
in its origin, aims and methods. 
There is but one qualification 
for membership—an interest in 
gardening. We have, besides 
dwellers in the town proper, a 
number of farmers’ wives, one 
of whom is our greatest expert in flower- 
growing out-of-doors and whose own 
masses of glorious and rare flowers are 
a sight to see. A philosopher, too, she 
is, this woman to whom we all look up 
in gardening, a woman with a ready wit. 
“Folks say, ‘Everything grows for 
you,’ ” she told me one day, “and I tell 
’em ‘You don’t never see what I lose!’ 
And I never lay it to the seed,” she 
added, reflectively, “I think it’s generallv 
the condition of the ground.” 
Meetings and General Subjects 
The activities of the garden club in 
