School Gardening, a Fundamental Element in 



Education 



1j. J. HORCHEM. 



Superintendent "Park Life," Dubuque, loiva. 



Fifty per cent of the children die before they reach the 

 age of five. Fifty per cent of the rest leave school when they 

 reach about the fifth grade, and fifty per cent of those who gradu- 

 ate from the high school or other higher institution fail, despite 

 the fact that only two per cent graduate from the high school, 

 and only one-half per cent from the college or university. 

 Three-fourths of those that finish these institutions have 

 plenty of means and their failure is not noticed. Twenty-five 

 per cent fall into the bread line in the large' cities. Thoreau 

 says, "To be poor in a wealthy' country, to be sick in a good 

 climate, to be inefficient among a progressive people, is a sign 

 of unwise educational methods. . . . They were not taught 

 to battle with the world or to meet life's emergencies." "Be not 

 simply good, be good for something." 



It may be said that no one objects to school gardens ; that 

 they are desirable for ornamentation and for usefulness. But 

 the use of the word "fundamental" in this connection should 

 be explained. "Fundamental" is a very strong word. Why 

 should 'we regard as fundamental a feature of public education 

 which until recently received no attention whatever and which 

 today is still in the early experimental stage? 



Let me say that the word "fundamental" is none too strong 

 to l)e used in this connection. This newer feature of school 

 life is really fundamental in its need and importance today, and 

 lies at the very base of intelligent plans for the school work 

 of the future. 



In the first place the school garden with all that it involves 

 is fundamental in its relation to the physical development of the 

 child. 



It may be asked what is the connection between the open 

 air diversion of school gardens and the continuance of pupils 

 in school. But few pupils are positively forced against their 

 will to leave school. It is the child who goes to school reluc- 

 tantly, unhappily, and a subject of constant exhortation, who is 

 most apt to drop out of school. Most parents are indulgent and 

 seek the happiness of their children, and are willing to make 

 any sacrifice to enable them to gratify their desire to keeji on 



62 



