SCHOOL GARDENS 219 



Special co-operative agricultural credit banks 

 have not yet, apparently, been formed in Poland ; 

 but Mr. Murray says that the facility with which 

 hop-growers can now obtain credit from the 

 State Bank does much to encourage hop cultiva- 

 tion, and has rendered an incalculable service to 

 the hop-growers. Advances are also made by 

 the State to grain-growers. In the matter of 

 agricultural education Mr. Murray says : — " A 

 good step that has been taken recently is the 

 establishment of gardens at primary schools, 

 that the children may learn something about 

 gardening and the care of fruit trees, which they 

 plant themselves on fete days arranged specially 

 for the purpose." In former times, it seems, 

 Polish landowners would require their peasants 

 to prove that they had planted a certain number 

 of fruit trees before they would allow them to 

 marry. This old custom has disappeared, but 

 Poland has now got 120,000 acres of fruit 

 orchards, and fruit culture is regarded there 

 as an industry especially deserving of en- 

 couragement. 



One drawback to the complete success of 

 agricultural organization in Poland is that, for 

 political reasons, no federation of societies oper- 

 ating over the whole country will be permitted 

 by the authorities, and each group must be 



