DAVIS] 



SCHOOL-GARDENS 87 



gone abroad that school-gardens are only for ihe cities. This is a 

 great mistake. The chief difference in the two situations lies in the 

 character of the work. If elementary agriculture is ever to become 

 efficient in the country schools there must be a place for its practice. 

 As I have said, the school-garden is the laboratory for such practice. 

 School-gardening in the country, therefore, has a broad significance 

 and refers to any work directly or indirectly concerned with rearing 

 plants. The country child has vastly more experience in this sort of 

 work than the city child has. He would not be content to do what 

 the city child finds of great interest. But he is ready to take up 

 definite problems relating to the growth of plants and to do those 

 things that will help him to understand work that he has been doing 

 or sees his father doing. 



There are two factors in the work of a successful farmer : one is the 

 business of production ; the other the business of disposal of his pro- 

 ducts to advantage. He must combine the ability of a scientist with 

 the acumen of a business man, and the latter is already seeing the 

 benefit of scientific methods of procedure. In this state (California ) 

 the great fruit-canning concerns send experts into the field. Each 

 one begins to report upon the conditions of the crop even before the 

 trees begin to blossom. These reports are continued for every stage 

 in the production of fruit so that long before the fruit ripens, the total 

 production of the state is known almost to a certainty. The farmer 

 is at the mercy of this knowledge. 



And the farmer makes almost as little use of the things that ought 

 to contribute to the other factor of his success. Among the mass of 

 those engaged in farming there is a surprising amount of intolerance 

 for expert opinion based upon scientific methods of study, and when 

 this opinion is called into service the results are expected to be shown 

 immediately in dollars and cents. I believe that the intelligence which 

 will make for greater efficiency in agricultural pursuits in this state 

 is the same sort that makes for efficiency in other pursuits, viz.: an 

 intelligent appreciation of expert and scientific work, and the ability 

 of the individual to protect himself from imposition. Progress can 

 only be made along these lines. A few illustrations will help to 

 make clear what 1 mean. 



I have already referred to the inspection of developing fruit crops. 

 I see no reason why the farmer should not have this knowledge at 

 his disposal and at least know whether or not he is getting a fair 

 price for his fruit. 



