7^ THE NA TURE-STUD Y RE VIE W [3:3. mar., 1907 



interests of an unorganized course of nature-study must share 

 the same criticism which such a course may receive. 



School-gardens are as yet in a stage of experiment. It is 

 Dnly fifteen years since the first school-garden was opened in 

 America. Their fimction is not fully defined. But may they 

 not realize all that is claimed for them, satisfying all of the 

 demands of nature-study, and at the same time be so well cor- 

 related with some of the phases of industrial and commercial 

 geography that even a greater interest may be created in nature- 

 study, in school-gardens, and in industrial and commercial 

 geography as well? 



Some of the claims for school-gardens set forth by the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture are : quick discrimination ; skill with 

 the hands developed by handling small seeds and various tools ; 

 systematic methods which follow from the order in which the 

 operations conducted in the garden must be' taken up ; industry ; 

 the idea of ownership and the rights of ownership ; business 

 experience which is an important result of harvesting and ac- 

 counting for the products which are grown ; and a basis of 

 knowledge, provided the operations connected with the school- 

 garden are properly conducted, i. e., if the requirements of the 

 different crops in regard to preparation of soil, depth of plant- 

 ing, date of planting, and the time and manner of harvesting are 

 all carefully observed. In connection with these already named, 

 it is also claimed that opportunity is offered to illustrate the good 

 and bad effects from certain methods of cultivation; of working 

 soil when in good and bad condition, with the consequent effects 

 upon growing crops ; the value of deep and shallow tillage ; 

 methods of conserving moisture ; importance of fertilization ; 

 conditions essential to germination as well as conditions con- 

 ducive to growth. 



Now may not all of these claims be satisfied even in larger 

 degree, if the attention is given to agricultural nature-study 

 (the study of cereals, grasses, fiber plants, saccharine plants, 

 plants bearing oleiferous seeds, etc.), rather than to the cultiva- 

 tion of flowers and common vegetables, with which most chil- 

 dren are quite familiar? Again, would not a school-garden in 

 which are cultivated wheat, corn, clover, alfalfa, flax, hemp. 



