310 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [12:7-Oct., 1916 



a temporary table constructed by laying boards across two horses 

 with a board fastened along the edge to prevent the soil falling off 

 and covered with oil cloth, may be used. The size should not be 

 less than 10 ft. long by i ft. wide and at least 6 in. deep. The 

 height of the table or box from the floor depends upon the height 

 of the windows from the floor. It should be as high as, or a little 

 higher than the window sills. 



The location depends upon the window space avilable, how the 

 windows fit and the method of heating the rooms. This is espec- 

 ially important if the garden is started in the winter. If the room 

 is evenly heated the location does not matter so much as long as the 

 plants receive sufficient light. A few suggestions in regard to the 

 development of an indoor garden in the grade schools might be 

 helpful to the teacher. Before the soil has been provided for the 

 garden, the teacher should give the children a few simple experi- 

 ments using sand, clay and loam to demonstrate the kind of soil 

 which it is best to use in a garden. Elementary lessons on seeds 

 may then be taken up in such a way that the children will learn the 

 parts of the seeds, their uses and the conditions necessary for 

 germination. These lessons should be followed by a lesson on the 

 comparative size of seeds, and the proper depth for planting. The 

 latter can be readily demonstrated by filling a bottle or glass jar 

 with soil and placing the seeds at different depths next to the glass; 

 then wrapping the bottle in black paper so as to exclude the light. 

 The growth of the seeds may be studied from day to day (p. 26, 

 fig. 16 School Exercises in Plant Production, Farmer s Bulletin 408). 



The children are now ready to plan their garden. This plan 

 must be worked out in class; the children suggesting the things 

 which they desire to have in the garden and the amount of space 

 that will be given to each. The value of these suggestions may be 

 decided by the pupils and the teachers and the plan made accord- 

 ingly on the blackboard. If it is advisable to select only the 

 common vegetables and flowers, the teacher can represent the 

 flowers in colors on the plan so that a degree of harmony in color 

 is secured. After the plan has been worked out carefully, a draw- 

 ing of the final plan made on a definite scale should be placed on 

 the blackboard for future reference. If blackboard space is not 

 available a large sheet of cardboard may be used. Each child 

 should provide himself with a notebook for keeping records of the 

 various seeds, their time of planting, length of germination period 



