YUNKER] SYMPOSIUM OF GARDEN SUPERVISORS 109 



Special teachers for the vacation gardens were selected from the 

 training class of the Louisville Educational Association, conducted 

 by the supervisor. Credit is due these instructors for their faithful 

 work, their splendid results, and the fine spirit of companionship 

 created in the garden ; also to the grade teachers who helped make 

 the work a success. The closer the cooperation, the greater the 

 efficiency. 



Home Gardens 



Arrangements were made whereby the children could purchase 

 seeds at 2C per packet. Knowledge gained in the school garden 

 was applied, and so far-reaching has been the good eftect of these 

 studies, that it has inspired the making of many back yard and 

 community gardens. Visits were made by the garden teachers. 

 It was gratifying to observe the large number of children who raised 

 a variety of wholesome vegetables. The area of home gardens as 

 reported in 28 schools equalled 68.5 acres. Of these 12 14 raised 

 one food crop; 2048 raised more than one food crop; and 1631 

 raised flowers. The estimated value of crops was $16,130.05. 

 Commercially, the gardens were a success ; educationally, we point 

 with pride to our boys and girls who continued their work faithfully 

 from seed time to harvest, who did their best towards increasing the 

 food productions and who carried beauty into the home by learning 

 to plant flowers as well as vegetables in their back yards and on 

 available vacant lots. 



There is another side, the sociological, which is too often over- 

 looked. The garden teacher at Atkinson School reported the fol- 

 lowing: A truant, appealed to in many different ways at school 

 and punished repeatedly at home, made promises of regularity that 

 were seldom kept. His case was almost hopeless. One day, in 

 sheer desperation, the principal sent him out into the garden. He 

 spaded to his heart's content. Imbued with the idea that he was 

 useful, his first request was for a "job" in the garden. This 

 granted, he was made captain of a team. So interested did he 

 become in his work, that he made a home garden. He helped do 

 the canning and developed enough school spirit to want his school 

 to win a prize. The school spirit is still developing. A better 

 quality of work and a more dependable boy is the result. 



