HATCH] EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF SCHOOL-GARDENS 197 



limited to farms within a distance of three miles. If the work 

 is well planned a considerable amount of valuable data will be 

 gathered as to varieties, hardiness, productiveness and cultiva- 

 tion of the grapes found near home. We do not investigate the 

 near-at-hand things as much as we should. We are prone to 

 begin with books or with something that is beyond our reach. 

 After the best that the home has to furnish upon grape culture 

 has been gathered, pupils may learn much from the catalogs 

 obtained from nurseries. Suggestions will be found as to suitable 

 varieties for different sections of United States with descriptions 

 and possibly pictures of different varieties. With these data at 

 hand pupils and teacher should be able to make a selection of 

 varieties that will do well. Further assistance may be gained 

 by writing to the nearest experimental station, to the state 

 agricultural college, or to the department of agriculture at 

 Washington, D. C. 



If it is found that nearly all of the hardy varieties are grown 

 in the neighborhood or the territory investigated, it will not be a 

 difficult matter to arrange to secure cuttings in the early spring 

 when the vines are being trimmed. A cutting consists of a healthy 

 piece of vine having three buds. If possible enough cuttings 

 should be obtained so that each pupil may have several plants 

 either in his school or home-garden. 



He must discover how to make the cuttings grow. This will 

 set him to reading, to asking questions, possibly to take a trip to a 

 nursery if there is one nearby. It will be necessary to make a 

 study of the soil to determine if it is right for grapes. If it is not 

 right but may be made right, then pupils must find out what to do 

 to it to improve it. Then the cultivation of grapes, how to pro- 

 tect them from drought or too much rain needs to be considered. 

 As the season advances the subject of winter protection comes up 

 as another important problem to be solved. As spring ap- 

 proaches one begins to think of pruning. When this should be 

 done and how it should be done are important questions for those 

 who make a success of raising grapes. It will be discovered that 

 there are several different methods of pruning and that each has 

 its merits. As the cuttings grow into vines they will need to be 

 transplanted. When and how should this be done to secure the 

 best result is a subject by itself. Some will be transplanted on 

 the school ground where the best methods of cultivation and 



