66 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [11:2— Feb., 1915 



As a result of these efforts, children are taking a much greater 

 interest in their school surroundings. They now ask the teacher 

 if they may plant flowers, set out trees, or plant a hedge. Not 

 long ago, the teacher had to do the asking; and received very 

 little response when she did ask. Children also take shrubs and 

 flowers home; and take an interest in beautifying their home 

 grounds. 



About 8oo children exhibited products of their handiwork this 

 year. Over 6oo children had home gardens. These numbers 

 will be more than doubled next year. 



The school fair has come to stay. The children demand it; 

 the teacher wants it; and the parents are fully converted to it. 



Plants for Class-Rooms 



Ellen Eddy Shaw 



So often we are asked this question, "What can I raise success- 

 fully in my class-room?" It is not an easy question to answer, for 

 it all depends. It depends upon amount of sunshine in a room, 

 heat and fall of temperature nights and week ends. For most 

 class-room plants have week-end parties, frightfully chilly affairs. 

 In spite of drawbacks, we catch the "plant" fever each spring. I 

 believe, personally, that something may be done in any class-room. 

 This something may not be the thing one most desires. 



Perhaps the only place for a window-box is at a window by which 

 is a radiator and the box must go directly over the radiator. In 

 such a case, why not have a little house for seedlings which are to 

 go to the home or school gardens later in the season. Fill the box 

 with sand which should be kept moist all the time. In the box 

 plunge up to their rims, flower pots or place shallow boxes, called 

 flats, on the surface of the sand. If glass is tilted upon one end 

 along the side of the box toward the window, you have a miniature 

 greenhouse. Buy begonia bulbs, pot one each in three inch pots 

 for this sand box. Do this in February and by June, you will 

 have sturdy begonia plants. After the begonias are well started, 

 say when they have three or four leaves, take the pots out of the 

 sand bed and place them anywhere in the room. They will be fine 

 little plants when school is over and they are extremely interesting 

 as they develop. 



