360 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW (11:&— Nov., 1915 



There still remains garden da-y which is another feature helping 

 to make the school work such a vital factor in the economy of home 

 life. These garden days are small agricultural fairs organized and 

 held under the auspices of the schools. A day in designated for the 

 exhibit and the active co-operation of local officials and farmers 

 sought by the teacher. Products from the school garden and the 

 home gardens of the pupils are exhibited. Another section con- 

 tains competitive exhibits of the farmers. Remarkable interest is 

 shown by the people and these garden days have grown into real 

 agricultural fairs. The 89 Garden Days of 191 2 increased to 1423 

 in 19 14; the number oi pupil exhibitors increased from 2,988 to 

 28,068; and the nimiber of farmers placing exhibits from 37 to 

 7,722. In this manner the school influence is extended to the home 

 life of the people who are not directly in touch with school influence 

 through a son or daughter attending school. 



The garden work like other features of the industrial program" 

 of the course of study for Philippine public schools is planned to 

 closely fit the needs of the people and to grow as the people grow. 

 As stated earlier in this paper we find our work centered around a 

 double purpose; first, to give the pupil knowledge of plant life and 

 a liking for good wholesome work; second, to increase the quality 

 and quantity of food avilable for the family. The second object is 

 often the paramount one although the pupil loses none of the train- 

 ing by making it so. It is not uncommon for the products from a 

 pupil's garden to supply a large part of the family food. This is 

 especially true until the parents, seeing what can be done and 

 observing how to do it, themselves take up diversified planting 

 and the community is fed as never before. 



To repeat a few figures, the success of the work during the past 

 year is shown by the fact that 43,000 home vegetable gardens were 

 supervised by teachers, 43,700 boys grew com, 13,000 fruit trees 

 were planted and cared for by pupjls, 7,722 farmers cb-operated 

 with 28,668 pupils in making the 1423 garden days successes, and 

 560,000 people were served com foods by the 11,593 school girls 

 co-operating in the campaign to popularize com as a himian food. 

 These activities are scattered over a land area equalling about five- 

 sixths of the state of California. 



Granting a well organized educational system under competent 

 supervision and dealing with a receptive people the success of our 

 work is largely due to definiteness of purpose. Gardening is a 



