REPORT- 



OF THK 



Committee on School Gardens and Children's Herbariums, 



FOR THE YEAR 1896. 



SWAN SCHOOL GARDEN, MEDFORD. 



The first systematic attempt to iutroduce school garden work 

 into the schools of Medford was made at the Swan School, on the 

 corner of Park and Washington streets, early in the season of 

 1895. The teachers and pupils entered into the spirit of the work 

 with the utmost enthusiasm, and its success has inspired other 

 schools in Medford with a desire for garden work, which it is 

 hoped the School Committee will be able to gratify another season 

 with means furnished by the city. 



The special aim of our School Garden and Herbarium Com- 

 mittee being to arouse and foster an interest in, and love for 

 native plants, particular pains were taken to aid the teachers and 

 children of the Swan School in establishing a garden of wild 

 plants ; and the appended list shows how many of the choicer 

 and rarer of our native shrubs, flowers, and ferns have been intro- 

 duced during the first year, and indicates what the policy should 

 be for future seasons. 



The frequent visits of both teachers and children to the woods 

 for the purpose of obtaining plants for the garden showed 

 their interest in the work. But the large amount of land 

 surrounding the schoolhouse, and the broad plan on Avliich the 

 garden was laid out, rendered it didlcult to make the garden 

 attractive, as a whole, in one season by the use of wild plants 

 alone ; therefore the use of cultivated plants was allowed, not only 

 to ornament the grounds, but to add interest and furnish ready 

 workino; material. 



