48 THE NA TURE-STUD Y RE VIE W [s= 2-feb., .909 



This land was formerly a city cemetery. It contains nearly 

 four acres. The greater part of it is upland, but the west half 

 slopes and the southwest corner dips into the old Deer creek 

 basin. It is an ideal location, convenient to the school, and well 

 adapted to its purpose. Dr. O. W. Caldwell, on his return from 

 a visit to some of the one hundred thousand school-gardens in 

 Europe, said: "I know of no other city with a like opportunity." 



The condition of the abandoned cemetery need not be described. 

 To render it sightly one hundred dollars was given by the school- 

 board and a similar donation was secured from the city council. 

 To the superintendent fell the task of landscape gardening. 

 The upland was freed from rocks and shrubbery, plowed and 

 leveled. Driveways were constructed of a heavy layer of lime, 

 secured from an abandoned limekiln near by, and covered with 

 twelve inches of cinders from a paper mill near at hand. The 

 essentials of a city park were kept in mind and the features of 

 park and garden were combined. The two hundred dollars proved 

 sufficient to prepare the ground for planting the following spring. 



In the warm days of spring the ground was plowed, pulverized, 

 and marked with deep furrows six feet apart. Each child was 

 thus given a garden six feet square. In the schoolroom he was 

 directed by his teacher how to use garden implements (brought 

 from home) and how and what to plant. He was allowed much 

 freedom in the choice of seeds, and he knew that the vegetables 

 raised should be his own. The pupils of all grades prepared and 

 planted their gardens at the same time. The furrows about the 

 beds were converted into paths and the beds were further 

 pulverized with hoes and rakes. The effect of four hundred pupils 

 working with earnestness and enthusiasm in their gardens at the 

 same time was beautiful and inspiring. The remainder of this 

 article could well be devoted to the manner of planting and culti- 

 vating these gardens. Another might be written to show the 

 lessons in practical living derived from the gardens. For 

 example, the public school-gardens led to the planting of twenty- 

 five gardens in homes of the city where gardens had not been 

 planted before. Parents encouraged their children to plant at 

 home and a small prize was given from the returns of the school- 

 garden to the pupil having the best home garden. The work of 

 pupils was correlated with language study and expression. 



