106 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [18:3— Mch., 1921 



how to bring them about, the best variety of a certain vegetable to 

 be grown, the market demands, and the production of seed to 

 improve the stock. These are aims that call for keen interest and 

 strenuous effort. 



In the higher grades this special work may be carried further and 

 may include rather extensive study of truck gardening, shrubs and 

 trees, landscape effects, forestry and lumbering. Is this not an 

 important part of the education of our city youth? If the only 

 results would be some knowledge of natural environment and 

 natural phenomena, a better attitude towards the food producer, 

 and some appreciation of beautiful effects that can be produced 

 with little effort, the work of the school garden would be well 

 worth while. 



Equipment for school gardening should be ample for doing the 

 work well. The school should furnish equipment for this work in 

 the same proportion as for any other work. Would a truck gar- 

 dener with ten or a dozen acres under intensive cultivation rent his 

 implements? Would he hire a man with team, plow and harrow 

 to till his soil? For effective work the equipment and working 

 force must be at hand to do the work when weather conditions are 

 most favorable. Although the aim is educational and not pri- 

 marily production, yet the most effective work must be done in 

 order that the educational results may be of high quality. Garden 

 land, tools, fertilizer and seeds are as essential as school buildings 

 and classroom supplies. Not until the human race has covered the 

 bosom of Mother Earth with cities, in which dwellings are crowded 

 one against the other; not until man and all other living things 

 have acquired the power to maintain life and pursue happiness 

 within massive walls of stone, brick and mortar, without pure air 

 and sunlight ; can the youth of the race be effectively educated by 

 means of books, paper and pencils. With proper organization of 

 the curriculum many wastes can be eliminated and all necessary 

 equipment can be furnished. 



During the season of 1920 in a city of 600,000 population, with 

 acre upon acre of vacant ground, only approximately seven acres 

 were cultivated as school gardens. The estimated yield of these 

 seven acres was $5,161.26 at current market prices. An average 

 of $737.00 per acre is not a poor yield, but the educational results 

 far outweigh the m.aterial products. Between 2,000 and 3,000 

 pupils, or approximately four per cent of the school population, 



