SCHOOL GARDENS IN AMERICA 



children brought their plants in bloom and out 

 of bloom, all eagerly expecting the prize. Grad- 

 ually, lack of interest and funds caused the de- 

 cline and final abandonment of the enterprise. 



In 1887, a reorganization was made on a 

 different basis, the Horticultural Society as- 

 suming the financial support. The School-Board 

 granted special permission to the teachers to in- 

 terest and instruct children in plant-growing, 

 and the exhibition at Roxbury, largely the work 

 of boys, gave evidence of the efficient work done 

 by them. Prizes were awarded for cut flowers 

 raised by the children, and for collections of 

 wild flowers, arranged in vases, and correctly 

 named. 



The committee decided to offer prizes for 

 window-gardens, to be ready for exhibition 

 during the month of March. The experiment 

 demonstrated that plants will grow under the 

 most unfavorable conditions. A member of 

 the Horticultural Society who was a lover of 

 children, provided plants suitable for winter 

 blooming, placed a room of his greenhouse at 

 the disposal of the committee, and insured care 

 of the plants. Seeds and cuttings were obtained 

 and five hundred plants were given to the chil- 

 dren. In 1887, one school furnished growing 

 plants, and on Easter Sunday, 1890, thirteen 

 thousand plants were distributed. 



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