COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES 301 



3. If each farm produces 30 eggs per day, what would be the 

 gain per day on each farm, if 5c. extra per doz. could be secured? If 

 the extra trouble in keeping the eggs clean and neatly packing them 

 takes 15 minutes each day, what rate per hour would a boy make for 

 doing this work? 



SCHOOL GARDENS 



The school garden is a plat of ground in connection with 

 the school, used by teachers and pupils for growing crops 

 as a part of their school work. There are many who are 

 enthusiastic about the school garden, and others who be- 

 Heve it has only a hmited place as a means of teaching 

 agriculture. A few years ago much was done to encourage 

 rural school teachers and principals of consolidated schools 

 to maintain gardens in connection with their schools. Many 

 earnest attempts were made to carry out the suggestion, 

 but at present there are very few places where the work is 

 continued. 



The advantages of the school garden are that it furnishes 

 actual practice in the various operations necessary in the 

 growing of crops. It tends to call the pupil's attention to 

 many interesting and valuable facts about soils, plants, 

 cultivation, also to insects and diseases affecting plants. It 

 gives a practical trend to the agriculture taught iii tiie 

 school, and provides a means of teaching by doing. 



The disadvantages are that the conditions of cultiva ing 

 the soil and handUng the crops are entirely unnatural. It 

 is difficult to get the soil in good condition on account of 

 lack of manure, teams, implements, etc. Usually about 

 June 1st when crops and weeds are growing rapidly, school 

 is out and no one is left to care for the garden. By fall the 

 garden is hkely to be a patch of weeds, and to illustrate 

 something not desirable rather than something valuable. 



Place for School Gardens. — In medium-sized and large 

 towns, where there are many pupils from homes that do 

 not or can not have gardens, and where a special agricultural 

 instructor or gardener can be employed throughout the 

 crop-growing season, there is a real need for school gardens. 

 Under such conditions the school garden furnishes concrete 

 illustration and practice in soil culture and the growing of 

 crops that could be gotten in no other way. It also fum- 



