I020 Rural School Leaflet. 



Sunflowers. All of these plants were easily grown and furnished flowers 

 throughout the season. 



Shrubs. — The first year the children should discuss at least one shrub. 

 Children like a touch of color, particularly red. I would suggest, there- 

 fore, that each school try to secure a Crimson Rambler Rose, which may 

 be purchased from any nurseryman. This would give a bit of cheery 

 color along the country road. 



In ordering a Crimson Rambler Rose, ask for a two-year-old plant. 

 If obtained in the spring, dormant plants should be secured, and when 

 received, the roots should be cut back at least one-half. In planting 

 Roses, care should be taken to set them in good, strong, rich, well-drained 

 soil. If the soil where they are to be planted is poor, it should be re- 

 moved and new soil containing well-rotted manure substituted. Set the 

 bush down to the level of the lower branches and firm the soil around 

 the roots. Any location except a direct northern exposure will prove 

 suitable. Very little care is needed to have a good specimen plant. 

 Train and fasten new growths, and each year supply a small quantity of 

 rotted manure to the roots. 



Flowers of field and wayside. — If I were teaching in a rural school 

 I should discuss with the children ways in which we could use some 

 of the common field plants for decorative purposes. Clovers, 

 Daisies, Buttercups, Black-Eyed-Susans, Goldenrods, Asters, Ferns, 

 Lupine, Timothy, Wheat and the like might be used for borders, 

 and from these one would be able to gather good combinations for arrange- 

 ment in vases for the home and school. Field plants are aggressive, 

 but they can be controlled by removing the seeds. 



HOME GARDENS 



The public garden, whether on school-grounds or vacant lots or in 

 parks, should be the place in which children receive intelligent instruc- 

 tion in the growing of plants, that their knowledge may be used on the 

 home grounds. On the school-garden should be grown types of shrub- 

 bery and flowering plants, as well as vegetables, that children may learn 

 something of them, so that they will be able to utilize their knowledge 

 wherever they may be in after years. 



Encourage every child to have a garden at home if possible. There 

 they should plant the things they want to grow, vegetables, flowers, 

 vines, shrubs, or trees. With very little effort a teacher would be able 

 to get the children interested in growing at least one or two things the 

 first year. In the Ithaca schools thousands of penny packets of seeds 



