MISCELLANEOUS 301 



SCHOOL GARDENS 



School Gardens. There are over a hundred thousand school 

 gardens in Europe, and thousands have been established in the 

 United States within the last few years. In the grounds of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture in Washington city there is a model gar- 

 den. In- a general garden are raised 

 our agricultural staples, tobacco, 

 cereals, grasses, and fiber plants, such 

 as cotton and flax. In his or her in- 

 dividual plot each pupil raises vege- 

 tables and flowers. Work in these 

 gardens trains habits of observation 

 and gives practical knowledge of our 

 garden, orchard, and field crops and 

 their care. 



Size and Arrangement. The size 

 of a school garden, and whether there 

 are general or individual beds, depend 

 upon the grounds available for the pur- 

 pose. There should be plots, if only 



. A YOUNG GARDENER 



large enough to contain a few plants, 



for the staple crops of the section and for common vegetables and 

 flowers. A large garden should be plowed; a small one should 

 be spaded. Walks should be laid off between the beds. It is 

 well to have the rows run north and south, as the plants thus 

 get more sunshine. Tall-growing plants should be put on the 

 north side. 



Suggestions. -For vegetables choose common, easily-grown ones, 

 such as lettuce, radishes, onions, tomatoes, beans, beets, and corn. 



