HORTICULTURAL REMINISCENCES. 225 



and a report was made on each patch, the gardener having no 

 knowledge of who was the keepei", and reporting solel}' by the 

 number of the lot. In the season of harvest the steward would 

 buy the products of the lot, and pay for them at the regular mar- 

 ket price — so much a dozen for radishes, so much a quart for ber- 

 ries — the market price for everything produced ; the product enter- 

 ing into the table supply for the institution. No charge was made 

 for the use of the ground or the manure. Marks of merit, or de- 

 merit, were entered against the name of the student whose number 

 was reported by the gardener with words of commendation or 

 complaint. 



The inducement to till this bit of land well was very great. The 

 large plot of ground thus laid out for voluntary student work was 

 a most interesting feature of the school. I do not remember the 

 size of the combined lots, but I do remember that freedom from 

 weeds and general good culture were everywhere apparent. 



There were two stimulating influences brought to bear upon this 

 student work ; first, the hope of securing a good report from the 

 gardener ; second, the desire to realize as much as possible from 

 the sale of the products. No particular hours were set apart for 

 this labor. Any time out of school hours might be taken, at 

 morning, noon, or night ; the matter being left entirely' optional 

 with the student. 



The great gains to a young man from being trained in such work 

 are not easily computed. He is started, at the earliest physical 

 development, in the study of great practical ideas. He is made 

 to consider the character of soil ; its preparation ; its adaptation 

 to the different sorts of vegetables or shrubs ; and the planting 

 and covering of the seed. He gains instruction by his early study 

 of the product of the planted seed in order to distinguish it from 

 the weeds, which start at the same time and often with a greater 

 vigor ; b}' his daily watching, not only for growth and against 

 interference b}' the weeds, but against enemies from the animal 

 kingdom that creep and crawl and &y ; by his preparation, at 

 maturity, of the crop for market so as to present it to the stew- 

 ard in an attractive form ; and by the knowledge acquired of the 

 value of market products and the time and labor necessary for their 

 production ; and he is benefited most of all by the health and 

 vigor of body and mind imparted by the work, and by the cul- 

 tivation of habits of industry, and the turning to good account 

 15 



