THE SCHOOL-GARDEN 55 



(2) Establishing a collection to supply 

 material for nature-study and class work. 



(3) Making a garden for the purpose of 

 (a) supplying material (as in No. 2,) (b} 

 affording manual training, object lessons and 

 instruction in plant-growing, (c) teaching 

 agriculture and horticulture. 



These categories are referable to two main 

 ideas in school-gardening : ( i ) The improvement 

 or adornment of the grounds; (2) the making of 

 distinct gardens for purposes of direct instruction, 

 or school-gardening proper. Much of the current 

 discussion does not distinguish these two ideals, 

 and thereby arises some of the loss of effort and 

 effectiveness in the movement. 



The first category the improvement of the 

 premises is of universal application. Every 

 school-ground can be picked up, slicked up and 

 made fit for children to see. There are three 

 stages or epochs in the improvement of any 

 ground : Cleaning up ; grading and seeding ; 

 planting. 



To improve the school -grounds should be a 

 matter of neighborhood pride. It is an expression 

 of the people's interest in the things that are the 

 people's. We are ashamed when our homes are 

 not fit and attractive for children to live in. But 

 who cares if at the school the fence is tumble- 

 down, the wood or coal scattered over the yard, 

 the clapboards loose, the chimneys awry, the trees 

 broken, the outhouses sagged and yawning? 



