764 Rural School Leaflet 



On the afternoon of May 6, Arbor Day, we planted our gardens. We 

 planted vegetable and flower seeds, and set out little plants called fire- 

 bush around the whole garden. Mrs. Sarah White gave us these plants, 

 and many thanks we extend to her for them as they were very beautiful 

 Just before we started to work our gardens, Miss Rhodey said she would 

 give a prize of fifty cents to the pupil over eight years of age, and fifty 

 cents to the pupil under eight years, who had the best-arranged garden 

 and the best-growing garden by the last day of school. 



We watched very eagerly for the seeds to come up. The first to appear 

 were the radishes on May 13; then on May 16 lettuce began to come up, 

 and then beets, flowers, and other plants. 



On May 17 we planted our com and it came up on May 24. The corn 

 we used for seed was obtained by our trustee in the eastern part of our 

 State. It was a very fine-looking ear of com. But in oiu* experience 

 we did not produce as good com as the seed. I think the reason is this: 

 In the com plant the blossom is on the top and contains stamens which 

 produce the pollen. The ear of corn bears the pistils (silk). The pollen 

 drops down to the ear on the silk and nourishes the kernel. If the pollen 

 does not drop on the silk, kernels will be lacking. Pollen floats in the 

 air and drops on the silk. It will float from one field to another. As 

 each of us had but one hill of corn and the field adjoining was hot a cornfield, 

 there was not enough pollen floating in the air to drop on the silk and 

 nourish the kernels, and I think that is the reason we did not all have 

 well-developed ears of com. 



On June 11, the last day of school, we had a picnic and exercises. We 

 invited the people of the neighborhood. There were about one hundred 

 and twenty-five present. Dr. H.J. Webber, of the College of Agriculture, 

 Cornell University, spoke to us on" School Gardening and Agriculture." 

 Doctor Webber and School Commissioner Stickle judged our gardens, 

 and they thought they were so nice that they each gave twenty-five cents 

 for a second prize. 



Robert Fargo won the first prize and Adelbert Simmons the second 

 of those over eight. John Jenner won the first prize and Samuel and 

 Nathan Hancock won the second of those under eight. 



At this time Mr. W. F. Pratt offered prizes of sixty cents and forty cents 

 on second and third best com, and thirty cents and twenty cents on second 

 and third best gardens, to scholars over eight years of age, and thirty cents 

 and twenty cents on second and third best gardens to scholars under eight 

 years of age, to be given the second week of school in the fall. We felt 

 very grateful to him for this offer. 



During vacation we went to our gardens about every two weeks. We 

 would take home some vegetables and flowers. Sometimes Miss Rhodey 



