Rural. School Leaflet. 



945 



In this way a small piece of ground can be used for a large number 

 of children. 



4. Tools. — The tools should be ordered early in the season. We have 

 found in our gardens, that for most work the small-sized hoes and rakes 

 of good quality have been more satisfactory than large ones. The chil- 

 dren can handle them more easily and in the close culture of small plats 

 they are more convenient. We secured our rakes and hoes for twenty 



Fig. 30 — Ithaca public school children receiving instruction in gardening 



cents apiece. We have used them for two years and they are still in 

 good condition. At the close of every exercise tools should be cleaned 

 and hung in the tool house. 



5. Testing seeds. — Children should learn to test seeds which they 

 purchase. This may be done in the following way: Take a five- 

 cent cake tin. On the bottom place a layer of cotton wadding to 

 absorb and retain the moisture; over this place a sheet of moist blotting 

 paper marked off in squares, each square labeled with the kind of seed 



