Co-operation of Shop Work and Gardening 

 in the Schools 



W. E. Hale 



Schools are established for the education of the child. Some- 

 times it almost seems that they are established to exploit this or 

 that department of school work as full co-operation of one depart- 

 ment wnth another to accomphsh the real aim is so infrequent. 

 The gardening department can lend material assistance to the 

 geography department by raising products needed for illustration 

 and to a limited extent carry out harvesting methods. Many 

 school gardens on small plots have grown flax, cut and retted it; 

 peanuts have been stacked in the peculiar shape adapted for dr\'ing 

 them; com has been cut with a com knife and shocked and root 

 crops have been stored by approved methods. 



The manual training department can be of vital use to the 

 garden department. A helping hand from the shops will drive 

 home the lessons of thrift and economy that the garden aims to 

 teach. Children should be taught to repair or replace broken tool 

 handles; straighten the rake's teeth; sharpen hoes and spades. 

 The manual training department of the Los Angeles schools saved 

 the garden department of that city a large item of expense for 

 labor and at the same time gave its work a most practical turn by 

 fencing new gardens and repairing old fences ; building lath houses, 

 cold frames and hot beds ; making tool boxes and hinged trellises. 

 This latter is a ver^- suggestive home device for there are still 

 many who prefer that vdnes shall not be attached directly to their 

 houses. The trellis is fastened by a strap hinge to a 2' x 2" post 

 driven into the ground and fastened to the building by means of 

 hooks and eyes. By unhooking the trellis painting can be easily 

 done without disturbance to the vines. 



Many useful tools can be made completely in the shops. A ten 

 inch length of ^2" do welling, rounded at one end and pointed at the 

 other makes a handy dibber for small bulbs. To aid little children, 

 holes %" in diameter should be bored an inch apart. ' A two inch 

 length of %" dowelling inserted at the required depth of planting 

 will insure that the seeds are not buried. Plant labels; labels for 

 rows and comer stakes are easily made and are needed in large 

 ntmibers. For the greenhouse seed flats and sieves and trays for 

 carrying plants are not too difficult for boys who have been trained 



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