Rural School Leaflet, io8i 



schools. We are not desirous of developing athletics which give oppor- 

 tunity to xhe few who attain expert skill, but games in which all the 

 children can take part, games in which they will have healthful exercise? 

 in the out-of-doors and which they can enter in a spirit of wholesome 

 competition. With help from the teacher children can get develop- 

 ment from play that will not come so easily in any other way. Boys 

 and girls can be taught to play the game straight. They can learn to 

 be controlled losers and even to be cheerful losers. 



Pictures for the children. — The teacher should inform us before the 

 close of the school of the number of children who have earned pictures 

 by writing letters to the College. As soon as we receive this communica- 

 tion from the teacher we shall send the pictures. 



CARING FOR THE GARDENS THROUGH VACATION TIME 



C. E. HUNN 



We make our gardens, sow the seeds, cultivate the soil, hoe, and 

 pull weeds until in June we have the promise of a fine crop of vegetables 

 and flowers. No weeds are to be seen and we think every weed has 

 germinated and grown and been destroyed. Then comes vacation time 

 when boys and girls have to help their parents, go visiting, or fishing; 

 or perhaps the water is fine in the swimming hole so the garden is neglected 

 for a week or two. 



When the boys and girls forget the garden, the late-growing weeds 

 take advantage of their opportunity, and grow night and day through 

 the warm weather until they have grown so large that it would be impos- 

 sible to hoe or pull them up without great injury to the growing crops. 



Now it is possible to get ahead of the late weeds and have your 

 garden almost free from all growth except such as you wish. Let me 

 tell the boys and girls what to do. Between the rows of plants, place 

 a mulch of short lawn grass, clean straw, or swamp grass, at least three 

 inches thick. This will smother all but the very rank growing weeds 

 and also serve to hold the moisture in the soil. This mulch may be 

 pushed to one side when a succession of crops are to be sown. 



The second or late crops should be plants that can best care for them- 

 selves and that will flourish through the hot months of July and August. 

 Beans and beets are both good for second crops. The dwarf-growing 

 sweet com will mature a crop of roasting ears if sown the last of June. 

 Late cabbages are planted in July, If the garden is not crowded, cucum' 

 bers may be grown for pickles. 



