School Grounds and School Gardens. 79 



Strawberry, included in the list, and grape and many ornamental shrubs 

 not included. Rhubarb and Horseradish are easily propagated by 

 division of the crown. They are simply taken up, divided and replanted 

 Horseradish may be grown even better by cuttings. It will be interest- 

 ing for the pupils to note that the tops grow from the end of the root 

 that was originally up, even when the root is inverted in planting. Of 

 the plants suggested for propagation by cuttings the Tamerisk is the 

 most easily grown. It starts as readily as Willow and Cottonwood. 

 Currants grow well from cuttings, especially if planted early in the fall. 

 Spirea and similar shrubs are more difficult to start. Cuttings of these 

 should be made in the fall or early winter and packed in a box of moist 

 sand or earth, in a celler which is cool and moist but does not freeze. 

 In the spring they should be taken out of the sand and planted in the 

 nursery. Of the tree seeds mentioned. Black Walnut and Peach must 

 be planted in the fall or kept moist over winter by being mixed with 

 moist sand or earth. Freezing is thought to be a good thing for these 

 seeds. The Ash and Honey Locust seeds are kept dry over winter and 

 planted in early spring. The Ash is planted much as garden vegetables 

 are. Honey Locust seeds must be scalded (not boiled) to insure germi- 

 nation. Put the seeds in scalding water and after cooling allow them 

 to soak for a day or so. The Peach seedlings will afford practice in bud- 

 ding during the fall following the planting of the seeds. Apple seedings 

 might be grown if desired and could be dug up in the fall and kept for 

 practice in grafting during winter. To learn more about methods of 

 propagation, consult such books as Bailey's Nursery Book, Goff's Princi- 

 ples of Plant Culture, or send to the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, Washington, D. C, for Farmer's Bulletin No. 218 on "The 

 School Garden." 



The Plan of the School Garden. 



No matter how small the school garden, it should be planned be- 

 fore being planted. As a rule it would be well to have distinct gardens, 

 one for annual flowers, one for vegetables, and one for tree seeds, cut- 

 tings, etc. In graded schools the lower grades might care for the 

 flower garden, the next higher grades for the vegetable garden, and the 

 highest grades for the nursery.' The vegetables and the things that are 

 planted in the nursery should be in rows. The flowers may be planted 

 in rows if desired, but they usually appear to better advantage grouped 

 together in masses. If rows are to be used at all they should certainly 

 be straight. Nothing looks more careless than crooked rows. In gar- 



