paksuns] GARDENS FOR CITY SCHOOLS 205 



mullen, tansy, wild carrot, caraway, butter and-eggs, milkweed, 

 purslane, indian pipe, wild geranium, buttercup, white daisy, hepatica, 

 dog-tooth violet, dutchman's breeches, etc., to be brought in from 

 time to time from trips afield. Next to these some tame plants of 

 economic importance; a single row each of grain, rye, wheat, barley, 

 oats, buckwheat; a few easily grown vegetables like beets, lettuce, 

 radish and peas. A hundred square feet left to the kindergarten 

 class was only slightly encroached on for a d)zen sun-flowers along 

 the wall. All of this to be on one side of the center path; the oppo- 

 site side to be given up to flowers, perennial and annual. At the 

 wall ivy, morning glory, scarlet runner, and other vines; at the shad}' 

 end lily-of-the-valley and star-of- Bethlehem; at the sunniest end roses. 

 Hyacinths were already blooming beautifully from bulbs set the 

 previous fall. The path may be bordered by a narrow matted row of 

 low growing flowers like dandelion, sweet alyssum,pansies, portulacca, 

 heliotrope, etc. 



Once the garden is well started, children and teachers will think of 

 it when they find plants growing wild under conditions similar to 

 those of their garden and will bring specimens to try there. Where 

 there is but little sun in the garden, woodland conditions can be 

 imitated: where there is much sun, bring plants from the open field: 

 where the ground is shallow only attempt shallow rooted plants. 

 Horse manure from the street sweepings can be easily obtained to 

 keep the soil rich, and can be added from time to time through the 

 late fall and winter but. not after spiing begins. There should be one 

 person to have general supervision of the garden, with an ideal to be 

 worked up to. Often the janitor will become, or is already enthu- 

 siastic and able to care for it. Such a man must be restrained a little 

 so as to remember that it is the school's garden, or he will grow 

 only what pleases him. Among the older girls or boys there will 

 always be plenty to do the little necessary work if it is divided among 

 them proper y and they are guided while doing it. Nature-study 

 classes should keep records of ihe plants tiied in the garden, noting 

 the successes and failures, so that the work will be progressive and 

 gradually there will be more successes than failures. Let the "Why" 

 of what goes on in the different ways plants grow remain quiescent 

 until the "How" is slightly mastered. When the garden is filled 

 with successfully growing things will be time for the "Whys" to come 

 up for studw If we cannot take the whole school to the fields we 

 can bring many of the field plants to the garden. Efforts should not 



