210 The Nature-Study Idea 



encouraged to make gardens at their homes 

 from which they may gather bouquets of 

 flowers for their dinner-tables. 



"The results of two years' experience in teach- 

 ing gardening and nature-study at the Whittier 

 School are most gratifying. While at first it 

 was necessary to use compulsion with some of 

 the older girls, and the little ones merely con- 

 sidered anything 'good fun' that took them out 

 of doors, they now without exception look for- 

 ward with eager enthusiasm to 'gardening day,' 

 which comes twice a week to each of the four 

 hundred. Large crops have been gathered and 

 proudly carried home; seeds have been in 

 demand for home gardens, sixty or more of 

 which have been made in the neighborhood; 

 and last spring children to the number of one 

 hundred and thirty volunteered to cultivate the 

 gardens during the summer vacation. In the 

 home-gardens there has been great diversity of 

 crops. Besides the usual school plants, chil- 

 dren have raised wheat, corn, pumpkins, sweet 

 and Irish potatoes, and also many kinds of 

 flowers. A wholesome rivalry has sprung up 



