Horticulture for schools

Press, 5 October 1985, Page 20

Horticulture for schools

Horticulture for New Zealand Students. By C. Hammett. Longman Paul, 1984. 131 pp. 135 figures. (Reviewed by Colin Webb) Horticulture, the study of plant cultivation, has come increasingly to the attention of New Zealanders over the last decade because of a renewed interest in gardening as a hobby, and an explosive increase in horticultural industries, especially in relation to the export trade. As a result, courses in horticulture are being taught in schools and universities. This book is aimed at School Certificate students, but will also serve as a clearly written, simple, introductory text for more senior students and home gardeners. Sections on basic botany, soils, plant propagation, and plant health are the subject areas emphasised, and there is less specific coverage of the horticultural industry and amenity horticulture. The full glossary is intended for use beyond the scope of this book. As the author notes, horticulture is a practical subject and so for each chapter or section, there are many suggestions of things for students to do, as well as a brief summary and questions. All sections of the text are well

The clear line drawings, particularly in the section on propagation, are excellent, as are the colour photographs which concentrate on pests and diseases. As with most school texts, there are some small errors, many of which result from simplification of the subject matter. However, some errors could have been avoided. For example, the capitula or heads oi the daisy family are referred to as “flowers”, when they are in fact inflorescences comprising many tiny flowers clustered together. The name alone of this important family, the Compositae, lets you know that the daisy is not a flower; but a composite structure of many flowers. This may seem a trivial distinction, but there is no reason why daisies should not be described accurately and by doing so encourage students to look for the real flowers themselves. After air it is because these are inflorescences, not flowers, that many daisies make such good cut flowers. — they are long because the' little - flowers open gradually in concentric rings. Throughout the book the author, herself a teacher, attempts to foster an interest in plants and how they function; this can only be commended as plants form such a vital part of our economy and our environment.