TEACHER'S LEAFLETS 



FOR USE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



PREPARED BY 



FIFTH EDITION. 



No. 4 



JUNE 1, 1897. 



THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, 

 CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 



ITHACA, N. Y. 



Issued under Chapter 128 



of the Laws of 1S97. I. P. ROBERTS, Director. 



A Children's Garden. 



BY L. H. BAILEY. 



We want every school child in the State to grow a few plants 

 this summer. We want everyone of them to learn something 

 of why and how plants grow, and the best and surest way to 

 learn is to grow the plants and to watch them carefully. We 

 want everyone to become interested in everything that lives and 

 grows. It does not matter so very much just what kinds of 

 plants one grows, as it does that he grows something and grows 

 it the best that he knows how. We want the children to grow 

 these plants for the love of it, — that is, for the fun of it — and 

 so we propose that they grow flowers ; for when one grows 

 pumpkins and potatoes, and such things, he is usually thinking 

 of how much money he is going to make at the end of the sea- 

 son. Yet, we should like some rivalry in the matter in every 

 school, and we therefore propose that a kind of a fair be held 

 at the school house next September, soon after school begins, 

 so that each child may show the flowers which he has grown. 

 What a jolly time that will be ! 



Now, we must not try to grow too many things or to do too 

 much. Therefore, we propose that you grow sweet peas and 

 China asters. They are both easy to grow, and the seeds are 

 cheap. Each one has many colors, and everybody likes them. 

 Now let us tell you just how we would grow them. 



I. The place. — Never put them — or any other flowers — in 

 the middle of the lawn, — that is, not out in the center of the 



