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THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [i, 3, may 1905 



ished that anything so beautiful and pink could grow in our yard. 

 Our wild-flower garden has proved a success from the begin- 

 ning and has supplied for the whole school a valuable part of its 

 equipment for lessons in nature-study. The gathering and sowing 

 of seed, the hunting for plants in the woods, the planting, water- 

 ing and tending — all carried out by the children under the inspi- 

 ration of a common purpose — combined to yield a quality of 

 knowledge and, more than that, a love for the flowers which no 

 other kind of study could secure. 



MAKING A SCHOOL LAWN 



BY MARGARET T. BROWN 

 Teacher of Grade VII, Upsala St. School, Worcester, Mass. 



When we first came to Upsala Street School in 1895 we found 

 the school-grounds just as grounds are usually left at the comple- 

 tion of a new building. Had there been no question of economy, 

 it would have been a simple matter to make a lawn. But having 

 no money in our treasury and having no generous benefactors in 

 our neighborhood, this was just the question we had to consider 

 most earnestly. Furthermore, we wanted this lawn to be the 

 result of children's thought and labor. With this end in view we 

 tried by every means to awaken their interest, to make them want 

 to beautify their surroundings. 



Time was taken during the nature-study period to consider 

 lawns. Each day the lack of one was more keenly felt as sug- 

 gestions came in fast and no practical test of their efficiency could 

 be made. The first steps — the cleaning up process, the picking 

 up of loose refuse, the carting away of the same in borrowed 

 wheel-barrows, and the leveling of rough places — though in itself 

 interesting work, served to strengthen the purpose of the children 

 and our daily tasks gained new life and interest. 



Having found the soil poor in quality and scarce at that, 

 methods of enriching it and plans for obtaining more were dis- 

 cussed. On applying to the Highway Department for street 

 sweepings, we found that they could give us but little because the 

 streets in our locality were not frequently swept. But although 

 a little disheartened, our boys and girls showed an admirable 

 spirit and all decided that a beginning should be made. The 



