evans] SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING IN PORTLAND 49 



Work was begun December i by the supervisor locating suit- 

 able pieces of ground and preparing them for use. Many of them 

 were in heavy sod and required a great deal of work with the disc 

 harrow, both before plowing and after. Two hundred and ninety- 

 six loads of manure were hauled and spread upon the ground and 

 sixteen tons of ground limestone was applied at the time of disking 

 or final harrowing. Most of the manure and lime was spread 

 by the boys themselves under the direction of the supervisor or 

 their principal. In addition to the manure and lime, large quanti- 

 ties of wood ashes from the school furnaces were used in some 

 places where the soil was especially heavy. 



Planting was begun the last of March, but was greatly delayed 

 by two weeks of showery weather. The planting of vegetables, 

 except for second crop radishes, late potatoes, and cabbages, was 

 completed May 5, although most of the work was accomplished 

 during April. Considerable was done in the line of floral decora- 

 tion, for although the contest is primarily a vegetable one, the 

 planting of flower seeds and the setting of plants is encouraged. 

 Nearly all of the school gardens, and many of the home gardens, 

 had borders or beds of flowers in the corners, centers, or across the 

 front, sides or rear. Several fences were covered with different 

 sorts of climbing ivy, wild cucumber, nasturtiums, etc. In most 

 cases, the land being borrowed from private owners and only 

 available from year to year, very little could be done in the way 

 of permanent decoration. Dependence had to be placed, for the 

 most part, on nasturtiums and inexpensive plants. Many beauti- 

 ful effects, especially school names, were worked out with loose 

 leaf lettuce and beets and with English daisy plants. 



The work this season took on more the character of regular 

 school work than was formerly the case. In those schools where 

 a majority participated, whole rooms were taken out for garden 

 work, usually twice a week. In other schools where ground 

 area was limited, or where the interest was not so great, most of 

 the work was done outside of school hours, school time being 

 given, however, as a reward for faithful work in the classroom. 

 At many schools the amount of ground available for garden 

 purposes is very limited and can only serve as a demonstration 

 area where the pupils may learn how and why, in order to carry 

 on operations at home on a larger scale. At a large number of 

 schools, the gardens were large enough to provide every interested 



