dewolfe] THE SCHOOL FAIR AN AID TO GARDENING 65 



(4) Collections of sewing, cooking, canning, wood-work, card- 

 board work, brush work, nature drawings, essays, etc. 



(5) Collections of vegetables grown by the children at home or 

 on the school grounds. 



(6) Collections of cut flowers and potted plants. 



(7) Collections of poultry. 



The foregoing list is sufficiently large to show the scope of work 

 undertaken. 



At these school fairs, small prizes are offered. We 1 >elieve in 

 many small prizes rather than fewer large ones. There are then 

 fewer disappointed or discouraged children. Competition is 

 sufficiently keen to call for the best efforts of those competing. 



It is certainly encouraging to see the interest the parents take in 

 their children's successes — or even in their attempts. Where 

 fairs are held for the first time, parents are frequently unwillingly 

 coaxed by the children to attend, but when they see the exhibit, 

 and learn that it is all the work of children, they are as enthusiastic 

 as the children themselves. This is fortunate, for the children 

 have the home encouragement the second year that too often was 

 denied them during the initial year of the experiment. 



To be sure, the teacher must take the leading part in organiza- 

 tion and supervision. At our Summer School, held each year in 

 Truro, about one hundred teachers specially qitalify for this sort 

 of work. When they go to a strange school, and begin to use 

 nature work in association with the lifeless subjects of the curric- 

 ulum, they are sometimes looked upon as faddists. The fair, 

 however, wins the public over to their side. 



Ninety per cent of our Rural Science teachers (for that is the 

 name we use for those taking the special nature course) are young 

 women. They are extremely enthusiastic and, in general, are 

 good leaders. There are many things they do not know; but 

 nearly all are ready and willing to do their best. 



A Rural Science diploma is granted to teachers wdio do satis- 

 factory work for three summer vacation periods at our training 

 school in Truro. In connection with this training school we had, 

 last summer, three model school gardens, and three vacant lot 

 gardens. Towards the end of the session, we held a school fair. 

 Thus the teachers had experience in the activities they w T ere 

 expected to carry out in their own schools. We also conducted a 

 Garden Club. In some schools this becomes a Potato Club, a 

 Tomato Club, etc. 



