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

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WISE-ACRES Vol. VIII May, 1924 No. 3 Published Quarterly by the Students of the School of Horticulture for Women, Ambler, Pa.—Louise Carter, Director Entered at Ambler P. O. as Second-Class Matter Under Act of March 3. 1879. STAFF Editor-In-Chief, Esther Cummings Asst. Editor, Elizabeth Pedigo Adv. Mgr., Helen M. Tripner ASST. Adv. Mgr., Flora M. Vare Business Manager, Hester B. Fogg One Dollar a Year Single Copy, Twenty-five Cents THOREAU’S SPRING PRAYER “A mild spring day. I must hie to the Great Meadows. The air is full of bluebirds. The air is as deep as our natures. Is the drawing in of this vital airattended with no more glorious results than I witness? I wish to begin this summer well; to do something in it worthy of it and of me; to transcend my daily routine and that of my townsmen; to have my immortality now, that it be in the quality of my daily life; to pay the greatest price, the greatest tax of any man in Concord, and enjoy the most. I will give all I am for my nobility. 1 will pay all my days for my success. I pray that the life of this spring and summer may ever lie fair in my memory. May I dare as 1 have never done! May I persevere as I have never done! May I purify myself anew as with fire and water, soul and body! May my melody not be wanting to the season! May I gird myself to be a hunter of the beautiful, that naught escape me! May I attain to a youth never attained. I am eager to report the glory of the universe; may I be worthy to do it; to have got through with regarding human values, so as not to be distracted from regarding divine values. It is reasonable that a man should be something worthier at the end of the year than he was-at the beginning ' From Thoreau’s Journal (1852).

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TABLE OF CONTENTS May, 1924 Thoreau’s Spring Prayer. Successive Crops of the Wise-Acres. “The Idle Rich.” Some Gladiolus Experiments. The Department of Botany. Miss Carter's Letter. The New York Flower Show. Saturdays—April and May. Two Tuesday Afternoon Lectures. “A Manual of Cultivated Plants.” Gleanings. Exchanges. The Compost Pile.

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SUCCESSIVE CROPS OF THE “ WISE-ACRES ” As Wise-Acres passed its tenth birthday this winter, it seems an appropriate time to hunt up the circumstances of its inception, and perhaps note a few of the interesting “Current Events” recorded in the earlier issues. The question is often heard, especially at the beginning of a new term, as to the origin of Wise-Acres, and how the name was selected and so on. It has been most entertaining to find, on searching the files of the paper, a neat little book answering these and other questions. And by getting in touch with Miss Exley, who was the first editor, many interesting bits which do not appear either in the little book or in the earlier issues of Wise-Acres were gleaned. The eight students of the school met at 2.00 P.M., on January 12, 1914, to discuss the proposition and wTere found to be unanimously of the opinion that ‘‘a School Paper would be a very nice thing.” Miss Exley was immediately elected as editor. Because of the distinct difference between Miss Exley's writing and that of the note in the margin, I know I am not slurring at her spelling when I quote that their “Currant Events” editor was Miss Lawrence, who also had charge of the ads. To Miss Frances Shin, the Art Editor, was left the designing of the cover, and her arrangement of the lettering has changed very little, and the School seal appeared on the first number as it does now. Mrs. Caroline Peeler is designated in the report of the first meeting of the staff as “general aid and slavey, with office of secretary thrown in.” Miss Frances Gardener, who is now Mrs. Kite, Miss Exley’s partner, was associate editor. Mrs. Deming was chosen for business manager, and a noble one she was, judging from the tales with which Miss Exley regaled me. As is always the case with a new enterprise, the Paper was in sad need of funds. Mrs. Deming had the inspiration and initiative to start an egg and vegetable route through the village. The horse at that time was “Prince,” and he, hitched in the “jagger wagon,” with which all School of Hort. students are familiar, was requisitioned to carry the produce to the consumers. In a short time she had made her wares so popular that the supply could not keep up with the demand. Of course much of the cash received went to the various departments from which the supplies were obtained, but arrangements had been made for a certain percentage to come to the Paper, and the results of the village trade were most gratifying. It was at first decided to print only three issues a year, but when it was found that the Post Office Department would give us magazine rates for mailing if we had four issues a year, the extra effort of getting together a fourth number was considered worth while. The discussion of advertising was quite extensive, as that was the source of much of the G