The Children's Home Garden 



A tragedy has been apparent to many who have taught 

 school in \'erniont during the past few years. Slowly 

 but persistently it has dawned upon the minds of those 

 who have had to do with education, or think about it at 

 all, that something has been vitally wrong with our edu- 

 cational system. There has been a remarkable spectacle 

 of people rearing children whom they love and for whom 

 they toil, and yet, in whom, from earliest childhood, they 

 have instilled the idea that they should live their lives 

 when grown up in some better place than that in which 

 they were born. They, the parents, with the help of the 

 public school system, have diligently and constantly 

 educated their children away from their native environ- 

 ment. Their eyes have grown long sighted in looking 

 for the pot at the end of the rainbow while stumbling 

 over the opportunities at their own doors. This training 

 added to the natural tendency to migrate which we all 

 inherit, has made sad havoc of our small villages and 

 rural communities. Each year the best of the youths 

 have gone away leaving inefficient ones behind. There 

 have been e.xceptions to this rule always, and yet it is 

 true that the best, to an alarming extent, have been en- 

 couraged to leave home as early as possible, and have 

 done so. Following them to their distant fields we ob- 

 serve that in most cases they make no greater nor less 

 success of themselves there than they would have had 

 opportunity to make at home. Their native places have 

 frequently fallen to decay which is a cause of regret as 

 they grow older, when the thoughts naturally turn with 

 sad reflection and affection to the undeveloped opportuni- 

 ties and scenes of their birthplaces. Villages have not 

 thrived as they should, not having been well fed by the 

 outlying farm districts. The boys who have left the 

 farms when young finding themselves without work in 

 trying industrial times may return to the farm but they 

 have unfitted themselves, many times very seriously, by 

 not keeping pace with farming methods. 



The idea grew in our mind that parents and educa- 

 tional systems might better train the children by interest- 

 ing them in the occupations of their home environment, 

 training them to make the most of home opportunities. 

 In this way they might become more useful and better 

 citizens, developing greater love and respect for their 

 native town and be better equipped to live their lives 

 either at home or in bigger places, if called there. 



That is why a small attempt was made some twelve or 

 fifteen years ago to interest some children in a Vermont 

 village in school gardening. After two years' trial it 

 was a failure. Why? First, because the children came 

 from scattered districts and when the long vacations 

 came school and all that pertained thereto was left far 

 behind. Secondly — we found human nature to be selfish. 

 No few children, however convenient for them, would 

 take care of the school garden when the other pupils 

 were scattered and not able to do their share of the 

 work. Since then we have learned to look upon this 

 trait more as a part of the natural independence which is 

 developed especially in every individual who lives in 

 farming districts. We also came to realize that when 

 almost every boy and girl has plenty of land at home 

 that they do not need to have a small tract loaned them. 

 So, then, because of the scattered conditions, because of 

 the independent natures and because they have land of 

 their own upon which we want a goodly number to re- 

 main, we concluded that home gardens were best for our 

 country boys and girls. School gardens are impractical 

 for country schools ; only as a small demonstration, one 

 can be used. We believe that hot beds at the countrv 



By Elizabeth Chase. 



schools are e.xcellent, however. In these thev may start 

 early plants and transfer them later to their home gar- 



dens. 



Opportunity came, five years ago, to try home garden- 

 ing with children. Two years were spent with very 

 small results. It was easy from the first to interest the 

 children, but the indifference or amusement of'the parents 

 was often disheartening and in a few instances impossible 

 to surmount. During this period few people knew about 

 the attempt. By the third season, however, the work 

 was well established, the enthusiasm of the children 

 being sufficient to make it a success. In them had been 

 created an interest so keen that they pestered fathers and 

 mothers continually until they were allowed to have a 

 small plot of ground for their own and could join the gar- 

 den class. Commercial results were also making the 

 parents consider the matter seriously. But one rule was 

 made in joining the class. It was explained to each one 

 so that there could be no question of his misunderstand- 

 ing, that he must do all his own work after the ground 

 was ploughed and fertilized. No name was accepted 

 without verbal agreement to this proposition. As the 

 class has grown rapidly in numbers during the past three 

 seasons, a few instances have been apparent where chil- 

 dren have not done all their own work. Each time the 

 dishonesty has reflected upon the weakness of parents 

 who, in their anxiety to have their children's work show 

 up well, have taught them dishonest} by assisting them. 

 When instances have been proved beyond a doubt that 

 the children have not done their own work, they are not 

 allowed to compete for the prizes. But we are giving 

 undue attention to this point, the only unpleasant one 

 we have ever experienced in this work, and for which 

 our one rule is made. There liave really been a surpris- 

 ingly small number of children who have not been fair. 

 On the contrary honest work is the rule and in several 

 cases the enthusiasm has been so great that it has seemed 

 best to hold the children back. The work has been car- 

 ried on to some extent through the public school. Ele- 

 mentary garden books have been placed in the different 

 schools and these the teachers have been kind enough 

 to read with the children, or they have been taken home. 

 Regular hours have l^een given us for talks upon garden- 

 ing in the schools, when every phase of the work is dis- 

 cussed by the most competent people we can get. Plans 

 for the gardens are drawn in school in the early spring 

 days and all seeds required are secured through the penny 

 packet system. Once each month during the spring and 

 summer a journey is made together to some market 

 garden, chicken, horse or dairy farm. These are made 

 gala days. 



Children from 5 to 17 years of age are admitted to the 

 class and are divided according to age into three classes. 

 New departments have been added to the work each 

 year, as there has been a natural demand. General vege- 

 table gardens, special crops, flower gardens and improve- 

 ment in door yards have been on the list. This year 

 lambs and pigs and maple sugar products will be new 

 features. For each of these departments, prizes have 

 been offered through the generous interest of Mr. Theo. 

 N. Vail of this town and other friends. They are divided 

 into two classes, those given for the work observed by 

 the committee who visits the gardens once each month, 

 and those given by the judges at the fair which is held 

 every fall on the village green. 



The prizes vary each year as it seems best to encour- 

 age the work of different departments. 



The children are not encouraged to save their products 



