Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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GLEANINGS March seems to have been the month of Shows for the students of the School. The Senior class went to Burke's early in the month, to see the many varieties of orchids. One plant is especially interesting for its money and intrinsic values, although as no bloom was on it at the time, its aesthetic merits could not be judged. It is the result of a cross made in England in 1880, from which cross only two seeds germinated. As the other seedling has died, this plant is the only one of its kind in the world. Its name is Phalaenopsis Harrietae, and the plant is valued at $10,000. On March 6th, most of the students of the School had the pleasure of going to Doylestown to see Burpee’s Sweet Peas before the first of the exhibition blooms were cut for the Trenton Show, which was to be followed by the New York and Cleveland Shows. After a tempestuous trip through seas of awe-inspiring mud, we were thrilled by the beauties of those blossoms, with their unbelievably long stems topped by such exquisite butterfly flowers, in all the brilliant and delicate shades. Mr. Kerr himself showed us around, and answered our innumerable questions with admirable patience. That same afternoon, on the way home, we stopped at the Farm School, visiting their greenhouses, full of all kinds of flowers cared for by the students. The one who showed us proudly around is specializing in floriculture. We also saw the dairy buildings and animals. On March 7th, the Juniors, who had kept their designs and intentions dark to such an extent that the guests feared an early “April Fool” performance at their expense, entertained the Faculty and Seniors at tea, with chocolate cake and all. The Seniors have since retaliated, with the addition of sandwiches, cocoa with whipped cream, and more chocolate cake. Miss Lee came out to see us for the day on March 8th. Tom has been to the Twining’s for several week-ends since our last issue, supposedly to see how the kittens are progressing. We have had our force of farm assistants augmented within the last months by two Cornell boys, who help the farm and fruit departments, besides being occasionally impressed for ice cream cranking. Our new chauffeur bids fair to be a vast improvement on our last one. A sad loss occurred during our spring holidays. The eggs which the Junior poultryists had been turning with such care every day, “up and died on us.” The Juniors have been struggling to suppress their emotions on the subject ever since their return. If any errors slipped by the eagle eye of the proof-readers 19

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TWO TUESDAY AFTERNOON LECTURES May 6th—A very interesting lecture on “Iris , by Mr. John C. Wister, president of the American Iris Society. May 13th—An illustrated lecture on “The Meaning of the Flower”, by Dr. Schmucker, of the West Chester Normal School. Visitors are cordially invited to these free lectures at the school. The talks begin at 3:00 P.M., and tea is served afterwards. Train leaves the Reading Terminal for Ambler at 1:55 P.M.; returning, leaves Ambler at 4:51 and 6:05 P.M. Transportation free to and from the School. Automobiles coming from Philadelphia should come up as far as Chestnut Hill to the Bethlehem Pike, along that to the Butler Pike, then northeast to the first turn to the right, where a sign directs to the School. “ A MANUAL OF CULTIVATED PLANTS ” In reviewing “A Manual of Cultivated Plants” by L. H. Bailey, recently published by the Macmillan Company, we can do no better than quote in full the foreword printed on the cover of the book: “The purpose of this Manual is to provide a ready means for the identification of the species in the usual domestic flora of the continental United States and Canada. It supplies for cultivated plants what the usual botanical manuals supply for the native plants—a means of finding out what the plants are, what are the proper names and characters. It has diagnoses, in the full key, of more than 3,000 species grown for food, ornament and general interest, both in the open and under glass. It includes the fruits, grains, grasses, vegetables, greenhouse plants, ornamental shrubs and trees, and garden flowers. It is illustrated with plates showing the detailed structure of ferns and Selaginellas, conifers, grasses, orchids, rose family, pea family, composites, and others. “The book will be indispensable to students of botany and horticulture, to gardeners and florists, and to all planters who are interested in the close identification of the plants they handle. There is no similar book in any language.” We have already tried out the merits of this excellent Manual of 851 pages and thoroughly agree as to the indispensability of personally owning the volume. G. B. KAISER. 18

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in the March issue, please blame the weather man. He ordered a snowstorm at just the wrong time, and it caused such trouble here that proofreading had to be done by candle-light, and only five candles at that. Our spring schedule has brought in not only special students to make life more interesting, but the new studies promise to be most enjoyable. Landscape gardening began immediately after the holidays, with Miss Clark as our new and very efficient teacher. Friday, the 11th, was a perfect day for the first Woody trip of the season, and the Morris estate was as beautiful as ever. Pinus cembra and Pinus excelsa appeared to be new acquaintances even to the seniors, but they were able to introduce the Woodiers to Cedrus atlantica and Vibernum rhytidiphyllum with much grace. If they didn't hold out such promises of the beauties of the Andorra Nurseries, which are to be visited next week, we could wish to go to the Morris estate every Friday, instead of only once in a while. EXCHANGES We gratefully acknowledge the following exchanges, and will try to find time to express our appreciation of individual papers in subsequent issues: THE TORCH, West Philadelphia High School for Girls. SIMMONS COLLEGE REVIEW, Boston, Massachusetts. SPICE, Norristown High School. THE RADIATOR, New Haven High School, New Haven, Connecticut. THE MILESTONE, The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. SCHOOL LIFE, Melrose High School, Melrose, Massachusetts. THE CALDRON, Friends' Select School, Philadelphia. THE SHIELD, Haddonfield High School, Haddonfield, New Jersey. GARNET AND WHITE, West Chester High School, West Chester, Pennsylvania. ONAS, William Penn High School, Philadelphia. THE SARGENT QUARTERLY, The Sargent School of Physical Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 20