Intensive Gardening 



Elizabeth P. Sheppard 



Trenton, N. J. 



If school gardening had for its primary aim the production of 

 flowers and vegetables, if it was a mere process, then the topic 

 would have been worn threadbare long ago. But every school 

 garden has its own story. Those of which I read such interesting 

 accounts differ from ours in one or more of the following points: 

 First, they have much more space per child, plots four by eight 

 feet or more being assigned. Second, in many cases they supply 

 some vegetables for family use, or bring some financial return. 

 Third, some of the children with assistance from a teacher care for 

 the garden during the summer. 



Granting the desirability of each point, we have been obliged to 

 work under different conditions and have found it worth while. 



All that the Normal School at Trenton, N. J., has available, at 

 present, is a plot of ground which measures twenty-five by fifty 

 feet. In this plot some two hundred children of the practice school 

 work out garden projects. To be thoroughly up to date, we must 

 needs substitute project for the older terms plan or problem. 

 These children work individually or in groups, and about one 

 hundred Normal students from the nature-study classes assist in 

 every activity, learning how to plan and conduct this vital part of 

 nature-study. 



Plans naturally vary from year to year. "The best is yet to be." 



The following is an outline of the garden as conducted during 

 the spring of i q i 5 : 



I. Preparation. 



A. With the Normal students. 



1 . The sash bed (one three by six feet is located in 



the north east corner of the garden). 



a. Indoor lesson on construction and use. 



b. Planting. 



2. Measuring the garden. 



3 . Finding out the number and size of the classes 



which would plant. 



4. Consultations with the grade teachers and 



decisions as to the projects. 



5. Adjustment of points (2), (3) and (4). 



424 



