School Gardening — Some Cautions 



E. C. Bishop. 



Every new movement of worth brings to its support a greater 

 or less number of earnest advocates whose helpfulness is much 

 discounted because of the failure of such persons to fully ac- 

 quaint themselves with the principles governing the direction of 

 such work. .A too hurried plunge into the new work without 

 acquaintance with some of the governing influences, brings many 

 a failure to what might otherwise be successful effort on the 

 part of the individual, and also reflects discredit upon the cause 

 which it is aimed to promote. 



In the earlier work especially, in nature study, over indulgence 

 in the study of "fancy" points about meaningless subject matter 

 developed much distaste on the part of pupils, brought forth 

 scoffing from parents, and diverted supjKDrt from a most valu- 

 able factor in education. 



Injudicious application on the part of misguided teachers has 

 brought to the term "Nature Study" the application of discredit- 

 ing expressions and judgments from many who would otherwise 

 be real friends of the cause. In like manner, school gardening 

 has suffered at the hands of many of its friends. Too many 

 teachers with progressive ideals and the desire to be helpful in 

 promoting the work in school gardening have failed to get their 

 bearings before beginning activity. 



Zeal and loyalty to a good cause are most desirable qualities 

 in every teacher, but those characteristics must be measured out 

 in a full complement, which includes knowledge and understand- 

 ing of governing conditions, and caution and discernment in 

 practice. 



Every state has its mile stones of progress in school garden- 

 ing intercepted with tombstones of failure because of the reck- 

 less plunging into the work and the floundering about therein of 

 friends of the cause who have used more zeal than judgment 

 in their work. The weed patches and waste places which through 

 the summer time have marked the remains of school gardens, 

 poorly planned and inefficiently executed, are landmarks of dis- 

 credit and discouragement which are more injurious to the de- 

 velopment of the good features of school gardening than are the 

 direct neglect or disfavor of those who know not of its value 

 when properly conducted. 



And these hurts come from the hands of friends who have 



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