38 



CHAPTER VII. 



SCHOOL GARDENS. 



By JOHN CRAIG, Ames, Iowa. 



How often one sees a school house planted in the middle of a 

 bare and unclothed piece of ground. No trees, shrubs or flowers 

 to releave the barrenness and give a touch of civilization, life, and 

 home-likeness. Why not undertake a small garden patch this 

 , year or next? It is astonishing how much pleasure and informa- 

 tion may be derived from a strip of soil five by fifteen feet. It is 

 remarkable how much horticultural knowledge may be stolen from 

 it. Here seeds may be planted and watched as they sprout and 

 spring into various forms. Here wild plants may be set and ob- 

 served as they respond to improved conditions and better surround- 

 ings. 



Where shall we establish the garden? In the center of the lot? 

 I think not. Our tiny plot would be lost in such a position, besides 

 running the risk of being trampled by the .feet of play loving child- 

 ren. Where do flowers look best? Where a picture hangs to best 

 advantage, against a suitable background. Then let us choose a 

 ^sheltered corner by the schoolhouse, or a strip where we may have 

 .the friendly protection of a hedge row, or even the companionship 

 ,of a fence. If our choice brings us alongside a fence, hedge, or 

 walk where the bed can only be approached from one side, it 

 jshould be quite narrow, not more than three feet wide. 



THE FIRST THING TO DO: Get some of the larger boys interested, 

 ; ask them to bring spades and then superintend the "digging bee." 

 See that the grass and weed roots are all shaken out and thrown 

 away or buried deep beneath the surface. At this point the teach- 

 jer may start the children to thinking by askning the purpose of 

 this mellowing and deepening process. How are soils formed? 

 .(See Chapter II.) Look for decaying weed and grass roots and 

 ^show the changes going on which form soil out of the roots of 

 clover and trees. Note how readily the water is absorbed by the 

 foosened soil: the deeper it is loosened up, the more water it will 

 Jiold. When the bed is thoroughly loosened up the next thing to 

 be done is to rake the surface until the clods are all broken up 

 perfectly fine and smooth. 



This raking and fining of the surface is to hold the moisture. 

 How is this done? By making the surface soil very fine. Notice 

 soil in the school yard which has been undisturbed. It is hard, 



