A Source of Income for School and Student
By JOEL C. ROGERS
The growing of fruit-trees could be undertaken by some schools. A student interested in this industry could get employment in a nursery where he could learn to raise the trees; or a teacher, by working in a nursery during vacation, might fit himself for teaching the industry. There is no field of nature study presenting more interesting subjects than the growing, budding, grafting, and pruning of fruit and ornamental trees. Root grafting and preparing scions would furnish employment for students in the winter, when suitable work is often hard to find. Planting of seedling trees, caring for nursery stock, summer budding and grafting, would give work for some students in vacation. Ornamental plants, shrubs, and seeds could be grown by girls. Their propagation from seeds, cuttings, and scions would furnish interesting and instructive employment. Bulbs could also be profitably grown in most places. Perhaps no classes of ornamental plants are in greater demand and afford a better income than roses, carnations, and hyacinths. These are extremely easy of propagation and of rapid multiplication. Of the seed-producing ornamentals, the pansy and aster are good types. Where necessary and desirable, a teacher or student could connect with an agricultural college for a short course, to make himself proficient for leading out in these industries. Thus, the present truth might be given to teachers and students in those secular schools. Remunerative vacation employment for students who must obtain means for their own schooling is a matter that may well be studied by school board and faculty. Seeds, plants, shrubs, and trees grown by the school could be sold by students in vacation with a good income, both to the student and to the school. Older students, qualified for salesmen, should do the selling, while others could better work at growing and caring for the plants and trees. While selling, students could carry literature to the people, and in other ways act as missionaries, as well as finding more students for the school. Any school may undertake this line of industry with but very little outlay of means. Start with a few things; for example, potatoes and cabbage, selecting the very best, and growing especially for seed; roses and carnations best adapted to the locality; apple- and pear-trees of best varieties, to start the nursery, or berry plants, if more desirable.22If only one or two of these classes of plants can be grown at first, select an early and a late variety of that best adapted to the soil, easiest grown, and most needed for home consumption by the school. If students are sent out to sell the school products, other things of the same class necessary to handle could be purchased at wholesale as required. When one is selling rose-bushes in a city, purchasers would call for tulips and hyacinths. The latter could be bought to fill the orders taken. When undertaking any of the suggested lines of industry, a teacher who is interested in a particular line, would, of course, be asked to lead out in that industry. Let him select at once the thing decided upon, and make a start this spring. Make a specialty of one or two things, get the best-known variety, stick to it, and the thing must succeed, with God's help, which is freely offered.