Teachers' Leaflet. 



599 



THE APPRENTICE CLASS IN GARDENING. 



John W. Spencer. 



In teaching children gardening I would divide the instruction into 

 three divisions, viz. : 



Apprentice Gardening. 



Journeyman Gardening. 



Master Gardening. 



The purpose of this article is to give instruction to teachers that 

 they may help the children in the lower grades to begin a familiarity — 

 an acquaintance — with the growth of plants. 



A young duck knows how to 

 swim the first moment it drops into 

 water. I am not sure but that he is 

 as capable at that moment as after 

 years of experience. 



A knowledge of how best to help 

 plants to grow is different. It is 

 more like climbing a mountain — tak- 

 ing a step at a time. But begin 

 stepping early in life and then keep 

 on stepping. 



Early familiarity with plants 

 counts for much — perhaps as much 

 as early music and dancing lessons. 

 As a farm boy I cannot recall when 

 I did not know about some certain 

 thing relating to the soil and vegeta- 

 tion. Such early knowledge, to some 



extent, disqualifies one as a teacher for the reason that one assumes that 

 others have had the same advantages, and to mention some familiar 

 but fundamental points would be threshing old straw. 



In the December issue, I said something about motherhood of plants. 

 I did not intend that article as one of pleasing speculation, but rather 

 to help you to get the point of view of the plant. I tried to lead you to 

 understand that the impulse of motherhood was strong, that the plant 

 would in the beginning endeavor to overcome all obstacles and make the 

 most of its life. Circumstances often impose conditions on plants in their 

 growth that they are helpless to overcome. They do not thrive any more 

 than you or I would if we were thrust under water or clapped into a 

 crematory. 



An apprentice gardener. 



