Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-18
LOVE OF FLOWERS
Encouraging Children to Raise
Them.
MOVEMENT HAS SPREAD
BARREN PLACES BEAUTIFIED IN
MANY TOWNS.
Tenements With Well-Cared- For and
Flourishing Beds OF
Posies.
MOVEMENT HAS SPREAD

Posies.
| Written Cor The Evening S'lr
An eminent German botanist VINO vfsitnl
this country last year Was heard t. ~
| claim Indignantly:
You people are barharaus You ROC
ognize neither the rights of thu indiyiial
owner. nor of the plants and shrubs"
lie was referring to the vandalism which
| he Witnessed in one OF the large factory
! towns. where fruit tree. which over
hung much Travelled highwIy W. S.,
broken by the passershy in their effort
to obtain the half ripe cherries that IL h4l
| II be cut down.
Any dweller in the suburbs IF the l1,g,
! cities. or in the NOR" country district,
| reached by the network If trolley systems.
might be inclined To- echo lis l.-ulrk They
! have had favorite roSeluish JIiHnnrr,l hy
| the clutch of greedy hands. q Wi~ttrli vine
| torn from It's trellis, or Il dpgwonl tree,
| broken in the time Of its snowy blooming.
| In almost every case the destruction Ms
| the work of childish hands iucit-i NOR.
| by the deSir" of possession than 10y r..l
| love of flowers
| The German hotanist was shocked f., 4
| is not $" abroad. In Germany Tie roads
| are shaded 10y fruit trees ana not a hand
| is raised for their Sp"liatiou There the
! almond trees bloom UnmolrStrd. Who has
not heard of the Towering English hodge
| rows. and the road banks. gay with tie
pink petals of the daisy? The s.tno low
ers have bloomed in the sam" spots for
hundreds of years
In this country It is different Indeed.
the fear is growing that many OF Am"ri-
cas- representative Wili flowers Will dis
appear If the children ar" not trained not
only to love flowers bur also to treat them
tcnderly. Children must h. taught to luva
flowers SO that the uprootinG Of a plant
to obtain a single wild flower will appear
in their eyes crime. This can he done.
they hold. 10y adding the practical Hppr-
cation of tn" rules of Horticulture TO tie
study of botany in the schools.
Though tn" idea is new in this country.
it is having rapid growth. The example
which Germany and other foreign lands
long set is being followed. France do
mands horticultural knowledge of her
teachers and Russia has arhprS in her
school yards for botanical study.
Began With Arbor Day.
Arbor day the first development Of
this movement. For some time an effort
has been made to make It day of peculiar
significance to children. In most states
they taught to plant trees with appro-
pirate exercises. In some places the tree Is
wreathed. and the children sing as they
stand around it. In all cases they are
taught to select trees suitable to the eli
mate. and told interesting stories re-
garding the desirability of the selected
species and the care needed for their pres
esyation.
The Children's Flower Garden Society is
another practical result IF the idea. MasSa-
chusetts. New York. Michigan. Illinois and
Minnesota are fostering this society with
gratifying success. Flower garden leagues
are sprnging UP all over the country, in
fact Their organizers have a doubl" object
in view. for through the love "f flowers
they see the means of getting children In
terested in municipal work.
Besides furnishing seeds for mixed gar
den, the boys and girls in some places are
asked to write To the Improvement League
telling the kinds of flowers they desire
Asters. pansies. mgnon"tte ana pinks seem
fayorites, and after the children get the
seeds they spend part of the busy hour in
school making little paper boxes according
to kindergarten methods. in which to keep
them until planting time comes.
Great preparations are made in the school
grounds when that time arrives Usually
the boys make beds, if necessary. dig tii.
post holes and plant the posts. I'll" giI!s
plant the seed. and the children together
weed the garden and tend In" plants wat
eiins them and training them until fall.
when the coveted rrize IS given for th.,
best school yard. This prize is freuueutly a
picture for the school room wall. and when
it is presented with "A speech mad. hy SONS
distinguished citizen the enthusiasm OF lie
children knows no bounds.
One of the Features.
This school work is only ON, feature OF
the flower garden fad. Nnticiug that IT,.
children who are most enthusiastic over Ito
school grounds those living in III,
slums. with little garden ground arat.ul
their poor dwellings, the lmproyon 1T
League offers seods and prizes for home
gardens. As result every little ~g.t
of ground is utilized. Often Il pretty gtr-
den springs up around some tunhIrd-uwn
tenement. old barns are transformed fy
vines. and the boys, who are Frequently
bootblacks and newsboys. carry water ipi.,
distances to irrigate their flowers.
Many of these gardens would do honor -
a rich mans residence. and when the PRIZE
garden is photograp h..d the whole uri4t.-
borhood enjoys the distinction. This year
many places are Offering prizes for various
sections of their towns. they hop in
this way the work may become NOR uni
rersal and different parts of the town b.:
beautified.
Stockbridge Mass, was the pioneer IN
this movement The parent society has 4
clause in its constitution which says that
any child may become member by paying
% cents or its equivalent in work. Children
are encouraged to do the labor. and in this
way become interested in planting or pro-
tecting tree trimming shrubbery.
At Honesdale. Pa. the children
interested in growing flowers that the work
has taken other forms. and in order
keep the streets clean they pick up the
stray pieces of paper and deposit them in
receptacles placed for the purpose at tie
street corners.
One encouraging thing about childrens
flower work is the desire OF older people to
help when they hear of results. In several
places. among them Montclair and other
New Jersey towns. the florists donated
thousands of salvias and cannas to tie
children of the villages. with circulars toll
ing exactly how to care for them Lavgr
seed firms often donate quantities OF seeds
and in some cases offer generous prizes.
Another phase of the movement is under
taken by real estate dealers who offer prizes
to the children of their tenants, thus MAX
ing lots more desirable in the section of the
city which they handle
Missouri has become SO interested in this
movement that special tables are provided
at the county fairs for childrens flower eX-
hibts. and two towns, Carthage and Beth
any. talk of having botanical gardens TO
the chldrens work.
The flower and vegetable garden ut Day
ton Ohio which enterprising firm has
maintained for years for the benefit of the