7/7 
parties around the grounds and conservatories, with a peripatetic 
lecture about the various plants and features, is a function of this 
department which consumes a large amount of time, especially 
during the busy months of April, May, June, September, and 
October. It would help a great deal if we had a person on part 
time to whom this work could be delegated. 
Research—As much time as could be spared from my other 
work was devoted to research, a brief report of which will be 
found on pages 58-63. 
Respectfully submitted, 
ARTHUR HARMOUNT GRAVES, 
Curator of Public Instruction. 
REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF ELEMENTARY 
INSTRUCTION POR 1939 
To THE DIRECTOR: 
I hereby present my annual report for the Department of Ele- 
mentary Instruction for the year 1939. 
In my vacation period I visited gardens in Great Britain and 
continued a piece of educational work started some years ago. 
I inspected gardens in London and vicinity, such as those at the 
School of Horticulture at Swanley, Lord Northbourne’s, and many 
smaller ones; also the Botanic Gardens at Edinburgh and Dublin, 
besides private gardens in Devon and Cornwall. One lecture was 
given at Swanley to a group of teachers from Kent. It was one 
of a series called the “ Refresher Lectures ” for teachers to inspire 
and refresh their minds. These were all elementary teachers, 
mostly men, who were concerned with the school gardens of Kent. 
Each year some lectures of far-reaching importance are given 
by this Department. In 1939 Miss Miner spoke before the Garden 
Club Federation of Maine, at Portland; to the Garden Club of 
Ohio, at Cleveland; and at the Sixth Annual Outdoor Recreation 
Congress, at Massachusetts State College in Amherst. Such lec- 
tures as these are on the subject of “ Children’s Gardening ”’ 
based on our work here at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and 
have become the basis for work in many places throughout the 
country. 
