190 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [9:6— Sept., 1913 



be given great freedom in the choice of plants raised. If this is 

 done, I believe he will not altogether lose interest in and dis- 

 continue the work. You recognize this plan of course as the 

 Hartford plan. I believe it ideal. 



The purposes, of the above program, let me say again, are two- 

 fold, first and by far the most important, is the creation in the 

 child of a pemianent interest in plant culture. Second, and of 

 no small consequence, the beautifying of our cities. I firmly 

 believe that both ends will be attained if this program is carried 

 out. 



Last Spring one of the inspectors told her boys why we budded, 

 how it was done and demonstrated the operation. Two of her 

 boys successfully budded roses. The boys and the inspector 

 were greatly elated over their success. Who is there that believes 

 either of the boys will ever forget this experiment ? I believe that 

 just such experiences, as these, will cause boys to become per- 

 manently interested in at least certain phases of plant culture. 



Some condemn such practices as budding and grafting and 

 label them as unfit to have any place in the school garden move- 

 ment. They call it poor school gardening if any time is devoted 

 to such practices. If it is poor school gardening, to create, in the 

 child, a permanent interest in plant culture by any means other 

 than raising carrots, then I hope the entire country will speedily 

 be inflicted with poor school gardening. 



As I have said before there are those who insist that the plots 

 in the school garden must be four by eight, and only lettuce, 

 radishes, onions, beets, com, beans and carrots grown in the plot 

 and these in the order named. Excellent work is done in the 

 gardens where this plan is followed. And yet I fear the child 

 becomes at first deeply interested in gardening only to become 

 thoroughly disgusted a little later because he must repeat the same 

 process year after year, and is not given a chance to show his 

 individuality. I understand that there are many secrets hidden 

 in each plant and that it is well to make an intensive study of a 

 few plants. But is it certainly all wrong and a great injustice to 

 the children concerned to insist that all be content with doing 

 research work on carrots. 



Other criticisms of the School Garden Movement might be 

 offered but the writer feels confident that when the above criticisms 

 are met the movement will have a still wider and greater influence 

 than it does at present. 



