The Growing of Plants 79 



made from a knowledge of plants and horti- 

 culture. This knowledge means more than 

 mere information of plants themselves. It takes 

 one into the open air. It enlarges his horizon. 

 It brings him into contact with living things. 

 It increases his hold on life. All these facts 

 were well understood by Froebel, Pestalozzi, 

 and other educational reformers. 



It is important that one does not assume too 

 much when beginning plant-work with children. 

 We forget that things which fail to appeal to 

 us, because of our busy lives and great expe- 

 rience, may nevertheless mean very much to the 

 child. Often we attempt to teach the child so 

 much that it is confused and nothing makes an 

 impression. An interest in one simple, living 

 problem that is near to the child's life is worth 

 a whole book of facts about nature. 



It is not primarily important that children 

 know the names, although the name is an intro- 

 duction to a plant as it is to a person. The 

 essential point is that there should be plants 

 about the home, or in the school grounds, or in 

 the schoolhouse windows. Even though the 



