pollard] school gardens IN IDAHO 207 



ble. I like to have my pupils see things, and then choose their 

 own way of making a report upon them, whenever they show 

 sufficient insight; they add photographs sometimes, and sun 

 prints, and specimens if they choose, or even write essays with my 

 approval and consent. Anything but time-serving is acceptable 

 to me. 



School Gardens in Idaho 



MAMIE LEE POLLARD 



At Lewiston State Normal (one of the two normal schools of 

 Idaho) , Nature-Study is a department of itself. This fact greatly 

 simplifies the garden work which is a part of Nature-Study in all 

 grades of the training school above first grade, for instead of as 

 many units and plans as there are grades, one system unifies the 

 several components into a central scheme. 



Throughout the course the aim for children is to learn to plant 

 and care for a vegetable garden sufficient to supply a family. 

 Almost as important is the method employed. This means that 

 tools are to be kept clean when not in use ; tools are to be returned 

 to their places and precision and accuracy are exacted in measuring 

 and planting. These ideals are not difficult to realize if the teacher 

 is vigilant and prompt to drill, train, remind and reiterate. 



For grades two and three the definite aims are (i) to educate 

 children to use garden tools properly; (2) to keep a garden weed- 

 less and well ciiltivated ; (3) to identify readily the seeds and plants 

 of four or five common vegetables. Identification of such common 

 w^eeds as Russian thistle, pigweed and wild mustard is required also. 

 These grades each have their class gardens. 



Beginning with grade four individual gardens are the rule but 

 this year a lack of previous consecutive garden work among fourth 

 graders made it seem best to drill them one more year in class 

 gardens. Assuming, however, the conditions that are permanent 

 with this exception, grades four, five, six, seven and eight, have 

 individual gardens. Each child is assigned a plot but is given a 

 choice of vegetables from a list of twelve. No child is permitted to 

 plant more than three kinds of vegetables; two are frequently 

 chosen. 



The aim in grades four, five, and six is economic. Children 

 learn by means of their gardens the value of manual dexterity and 



