quear] symposium OF GARDEN SUPERVISORS 113 



and an appreciation of beauty is instilled through field work and 

 landscape study. 



The mechanical drawing is utilized in making drawings of the 

 garden planting plans, and the work is broadened to include plant- 

 ing plans of the home gardens, drawings of the city block and in 

 some cases even expanded to county maps with permanent geo- 

 graphical features included. Local geography is largely included 

 in the early part of the program of gardening proper, and the geo- 

 graphy of the fifth grade is presented with this idea in mind. 



The garden course proper embodies education similar in nature 

 to any of the industrial courses in that the hand is trained as well as 

 the mind. In no course given in the schools, can work in Manual 

 Training, Domestic Science and Art, be motivated as in gardening. 



Last year the work was offered in 43 schools and reached 

 approximately 3570 pupils. Instructors in the industrial depart- 

 ment were responsible for the work, the Manual Training teachers 

 having charge of the boys and the Domestic Science teachers being 

 responsible for the work of the girls. Work was begun early in the 

 year with the making of planting and landscape plans, for the 

 gardens. Each pupil makes completed drawings. As a result of 

 this work and the discussions following either the best drawing of 

 the lot or a new drawing combining the best ideas, is used as the 

 actual planting plan. Then comes a discussion of varieties of 

 vegetables, and preparation of seed orders, followed by the prepara- 

 tion of soil for planting. 



Hotbed work, window box plantings, seed testing, etc., receive 

 attention at this time. From the time of the early plantings until 

 the close of the term, garden work receives a full share of the time 

 allotted to industrial work. There is no definite portion of the time 

 given to the garden work, but there is no restriction on the amount 

 of time which may be used. While it receives a small portion of 

 the time in winter months, during the spring and early fall it may 

 be given the major portion of the time devoted to industrial training. 



Boys grew most of the vegetables although they were given some 

 assistance by the girls. The girls delighted more in the flowers, did 

 harvesting, canning and preserving of certain crops for cafeteria use. 



At no time has there been trouble in holding the interest of 

 pupils. Where instructors find the work interesting and show real 

 effort, the children have responded with a surprising degree of 

 earnest effort. 



