218 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [17:5— May, 1920 



considerably, according to local needs. Usually the work begins 

 with the fourth grade, continuing through the eighth. The aver- 

 age number of pupils in our classes is 15, and the average length of 

 time spent in the subject is about one hour per week. Our gardens 

 vary in size, from plots the size of a city lot to over an acre in 

 extent. The school garden is usually laid out with broad borders 

 given over to the growing of shrubs, flowers, bulbs, etc., while the 

 center is divided into large community plots, which will average 

 about 600 square feet. In some cases, where plenty of land is avail- 

 able, the older pupils are assigned individual plots. Many of our 

 gardens, even on borrowed ground, now have representative fruits 

 planted upon them towards the rear. In many cases, these trees 

 were produced in the garden. 



Practically all of our gardens are provided with cold frames 

 with lath covers, many with tool houses, some with hot beds and 

 about 47 have lath houses. In two schools, largely through local 

 initiative, we have glass houses. Our standard lath house is 

 16 X 24 feet, with side benches and a strong center table. The 

 benches are used for cuttings, seedage, work with flowers, trees 

 and shrubs, bulbs, and storage; also for potted plants for school 

 rooms or material undergoing growth for repotting. During the 

 past three years, through summer schools, we have have carried 

 our garden work through the entire year. This arrangement has 

 made it possible for us to undertake and carry through to comple- 

 tion many phases of gardening, otherwise impossible of success. 

 In many cases teachers are able to carry on simple experiments 

 in the school room, with soils, seeds, flowers, and other portions 

 of plants. Many of our more recent school buildings have fairly 

 well equipped agriculture and nature study rooms. 



Our purpose in teaching gardening is to afford our pupils those 

 experiences which will make them familiar with the art of pro- 

 ducing plants successfully. We look upon the' school garden as a 

 practice and demonstration center wherein the pupil learns the 

 many various processes necessary to successfully produce plants. 

 The crop in our estimation is secondary to the experience and 

 habits gained in the work. We encourage home gardening in 

 every way possible, and have found the U. S. S. G. organization 

 very helpful in the prosecution of this work. Many of our teachers 

 are employed through "continuation" work, after school, to 

 supervise and encourage the home gardening, being paid a fair 



