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greenhouses for classroom decoration and use. This little act 
of interest has established a very friendly relation between the chil- 
dren, teachers, and the Garden itself. 
Dr. Gager, in analyzing his data on the botanic gardens of the 
world, stated that no other botanic garden had arranged so ex- 
tensive a program for adults and children as had the Brooklyn 
Botanic Garden. While stress may be laid sometimes on the 
educational importance of small numbers, still the following figures 
show that through our various methods we have been able to care 
for a goodly number of children. In 1913, 544 children visited the 
Garden for class lectures and demonstration; in 1920, nearly 
23,000; in 1925, over 58,000; and in 1940, the number was over 
67,000, about the maximum possible with the limited number of 
hours in the day, and the current staff and classroom facilities. 
In thirty years approximately 17,000 teachers have brought to the 
3otanic Garden over 1,000,000 pupils. Surely this is serving the 
children of the City as Dr. Gager wished them served. 
Entirely separate from the lectures given to children from the 
schools are the lectures and courses for which children register 

voluntarily and which have no direct connection with the school. 
Dr. Gager felt very strongly that: “A lecture may serve a useful 
purpose as a means of stimulating a spirit of inquiry and in giving 
information not readily accessible in books and periodicals, but 
a program of education which includes only lectures to more or less 
passive listeners violates the fundamental principles of teaching 
and learning.” It must have been a great satisfaction to him that 
children of their own volition started the Saturday morning classes. 
In October, 1913, a little group from the neighborhood requested 
that they have a greenhouse class in the one greenhouse then set 
apart for children’s work. This was the beginning of our Sat- 
urday morning work for children and from then on this work has 
been entirely voluntary, requested by the children themselves, and 
also paid for in part by them. A small fee is given by each child 
for his classwork. About seventy-five children entered the first 
Saturday morning groups; in 1943, the registration for these 
asses was 683 for the year. Because of the limited facilities, this 
— 
c 
will necessarily remain about the same yearly. 
