HORTICULTURE 



September 9. 190S 



Promoting Horticulture and Civic Improvement Among Children. 



A Lee 



■ by Miss Susan B. Sipe before 



There are now thousands of young 

 gardeners at work looking forward to 

 the flower show in the fall, who have 

 been immensely benefitted by the in- 

 structions given in the schools ami 

 who will never forget the fondness for 

 the soil and who will make better citi- 

 zens in the future for it. The children 

 have learned that it takes labor to 

 produce; that one's property should 

 be respected and protected so that 

 neighborhoods which formerly suffered 

 much from vandalism simply for de- 

 struction have had immunity from 

 such for two years. Skilful teachers 

 have been able to relate the garden 

 work with the schoolroom work, ob- 

 taining from it material for lessons in 

 nature study, English composition, 

 spelling, drawing and arithmetic. 

 However, where there is sufficient 

 space, the garden of individual plots, 

 the one where each child has a small 

 space wholly his own is better adapted 

 for correlation of the outdoor work 

 and the indoor work. Again, through 

 the Department of Agriculture, has the 

 Normal School been granted this privi- 

 lege. Seven thousand square feet of 

 ground adjoining the main building 

 have been set aside for the use of the 

 school and here the students get the 

 opportunity to handle outdoor classes, 

 which is such a necessity in a teach- 

 er's' training. A class of sixth grade 

 boys frc^m a school in the neighbor- 

 hood was selected. Once a week, 

 while the girls of the school are at 

 cutting and fitting school, the boys 

 report at the Normal School green- 

 house for lessons. Elementary work 

 in soils and seed planting are given 

 them before they are put upon the 

 land. When the ground is in condi- 

 tion to work, it is measured and laid 

 off by them into' plots 9 feet by 20 

 feet, paths two feet wide separating 

 the plots. On these each boy raises 

 during the season eight kinds of 

 vegetables and two kinds of flowers. 

 Whatever he raises is his own and it 

 is of suflBcient value to pay him to 

 work two mornings a week through- 

 out vacation. The quantity of vege- 

 tables grown or the quality of them is 

 not the main thought in the mind of 

 the teacher, but the development of 

 the boy is the paramount thought. He 

 is the most important factor of growth 

 in the garden. To aid him in his 

 geography, plots of the common grains 

 and fibre plants of the United States 

 border the garden. As these mature 

 lessons on their industrial and com- 

 mercial relations to man are given, 

 the freedom of speech engendered 

 gives much opportunity to promote 

 the use of correct English. Problems 

 in practical arithmetic are continually 

 arising. These boys have calculated 

 the amount and the cost of fertilizer 

 needed, the cost of the garden and of 

 each individual plot, the amount of 

 time needed on a plot at a given 

 amount per acre, the quantity of rain- 

 fall, the the cost of fencing. The be- 

 lieving teacher finds constant oppor- 

 tunity to relate the schoolroom studies 

 in a practical way to the outdoor 

 work. The physical development of 

 the boy is a great point in the favor 

 of gardening as a part of the public 

 school system. There is no form of 

 manual training so far used in our 



schools that so help', the ph\-.i( tl 

 intellectual development ol children. 

 It is sincerely hoped that congress will 

 see fit to make appropriations this 

 coming session so that other portions 

 of the city may benefit by this object 

 lesson on the Department grounds. 



The influence on the homes of the 

 children should appeal to those not 

 interested in it from the educational 

 point of view. Whatever tends toward 

 strengthening the home tends toward 

 better citizenship and a stronger 

 nation. 



The recognition by a department of 

 government of the movement to im- 

 plant a love for the soil in the minds 

 of a child while it is yet plastic, has 

 strengthened the movement in other 

 cities where it had been labelled 

 "fad." Representatives from the gov- 

 ernments of Canada, Great Britain, 

 France and New Zealand have studied 

 the work and returned to their re- 

 spective countries stimulated to fur- 

 ther the movement there. Children's 

 gardens are widespread in this country, 

 being furthered by settlement work- 

 ers, business firms, private enterprise, 

 educational boards. "A school with- 

 out a garden is like a stag without 

 water," says a noted educator. The 

 Bureau of Education claims that the 

 idea is so simple and so natural that 

 the coming century will wonder how 

 educational institutions could have 

 existed without them and been true 

 to their purpose. 



PEACH PITS 



CROP 1904 



to 95 per 



Experience 



n the new crop, 

 prices on applicstion. 



..-. «.^o have a fine lot of Apple, 

 Peach. Plum, Cherry. California Privet, 

 Asparagus, Shade and Ornamental Trees. 





iught us that Peach Pits 



FRANKlTrOAVlV NURSERY GO. 



BALTIMORE, M P. 



MlTfornia privet. 



A large sto^k of two and three year old 

 (transplautedj, from 12 inches to four feet, 

 well hnished plants at very low prices for 

 quality of stock. Get my prices before pur- 

 chasing. Satisfaction guaranteed. Address, 



CHARLES BLACK, 



HICHTSTOWN, - N.J. 



Daisies, Daises and Daisies 



Wp are lieadquarters for MARGIER- 

 ITES. We have? varieties and make It our 

 speolaltv. Stock of 4 varieties is offered 

 for sale" and with a guarantee that it Is en- 

 tirely free from leaf miner or other Insect 

 po.Qts. Prices on applieatlon. Flowers iu 

 nnc riniinUtv (li-tober 1st to .Inly ],st. 



FLETCHER of AUBURNDALE. 

 Stall 1. Boston Flower Market, Park St. 



'i'Jl. VIOLETS "■"* 



NEWS NOTES. 



The Burnham, Hitchings, Pierson 

 Company are making repairs on the 

 greenhouses at Rockhurst, Newport. 



Alexander Klokner of Wauwatosa, 

 Wis., was allowed a patent on his re- 

 pair clamp for greenhouse roofs on 

 August 29, the application having been 

 filed May 11. This little device should 

 be kept in stock by everybody having 

 greenhouses or sash frames. It will 

 be found mighty useful. 



Strong 



31X10 L. H. rampbell, .$0.00 per 100; $45.00 



per lOOn. 2(J00 Princess of Wales, $G.OO per 



100; .$50.00 per 1000. There Is no better 



stock in the market at any price. 



Cash with order, please. 



R. ENGELMANW k SON. Pillsfield. Mass. 



STERILIZED SHEEP MANURE 



$20.00 a T O N 

 100 Lb BAG $1.25 



Wn. ELLIOTT & SONS 



201 FULTON ST., NEW YORK 



