CHILDREN'S GARDENS 



a bag of commercial fertilizer, being rather ob- 

 trusive, suggested the subject — plant-food. The 

 boys realized that they require a varied diet 

 to sustain the different parts of their bodies, as 

 lime for the bones, etc., and were shown that 

 the same thing is true of plants. Nitrogenous 

 food develops a strong, vigorous system of 

 leaves and stems, while potash and phosphoric 

 acid intensify the colors of flowers and produce 

 plump, well-developed, rich seeds. Commercial 

 fertilizers are easily digested by plants. It is 

 necessary for barnyard manure to go through a 

 decomposing process before it can be reduced 

 to a soluble form available for plants. The 

 ditferent kinds of vegetables growing in the 

 garden were discussed, and it was decided 

 which would need nitrogen, as lettuce, and 

 which would require phosphoric acid, as corn, 

 beans, etc. Roots of the clover, beans, and peas 

 were examined for tubercles, and the wonder- 

 ful story of the nitrifying bacteria told to the 

 boys. They could understand the facts, but the 

 reasons — they are beyond scientific men. The 

 relation of the conservation of moisture to 

 tillage, capillarity in the soil, earth mulch, gave 

 to the soil a new significance. 



While the potatoes were being cut up for 

 planting, their storehouses of plant-food and 

 their uses were discussed. Radishes, beets, 



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