.^*- - 



^ L 



\ ■- 



.' 



." V. 



53. 



On October 22, we started our first course for the p-encral 



public 



This course consisted of five lectures on House Plants. 



Forty-six people registered. 



The first classes for elementary school children were inaugu- 

 rated on December 17, 191 3. These classes, four in number, two 

 after school and two on Saturday mornings, represent the begin- 

 ning of our children's classes, that is, those classes which are 

 made up by voluntary registration of the individual, and without 

 reference to the schools. Dr. Lee's High School class of October 

 6 represents the first clas! 

 schools. 



It might be pertinent here to say that, from a registration of 

 ■ approximately 100 in the fall of 1913, we have built up an an- 



in the year 1920, and from an 



s coming here by request from the 



800 



attendance of 544 in the fall of 1913, we have risen to an attend- 

 ance of 53,294 at the end of 1920. The attendance in our volun- 

 tary classes alone is over 19,000. During the war years of 1917- 

 1918 tliis attendance rose to about 25,000. This was due to the 

 fact that the conditions arising from the war crowded our classes 

 far beyond the limits to which any class should be numbered. 



There are certain figures I should like to lay before you which 

 show in themselves much more clearly than words, the work of 

 this Department. It must be remembered that while this is the 

 tenth anniversary of the Garden, it is only the seventh anniver- 

 sary of the Department of Elementary Instruction. We started 

 to supply the public schools of the Borough of Brooklyn with 

 penny packets of seeds in 1914, when 21, or 12 per cent., of the 

 elementary schools called for 25,000 packets. In 1920, 86, or 47 

 per cent., of the elementary schools, besides high schools, private 

 schools and a few elementary schools in the Borough of Queens, 

 were supplied with 128,540 packets. 



Public lectures for school children are given at the Brooklyn 

 Botanic Garden in the spring and fall of each year. Such lec- 

 tures are held in school time and are a part of the school activi- 

 ties. In 1913, 9 schools attended these lectures; two high schools, 

 two private schools, and one parochial school being included. In 

 I9i9> 47 dififerent schools attended these lectures, while in 1920 

 only 21 came. On the face of this, it might look as if this worl 



.1^ 



