HORTICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN. 167 



shall be provided, for corresponding agricultural instruction in all 

 that relates to the soil, and that the teacher shall make himself 

 skilful in such instruction." As regards teachers, the law reads, 

 '^ Instruction in natural history is indispensable to suitably 

 established school gardens. The teachers, then, must be in a 

 condition to conduct them." 



Twenty-five years ago there were, in Austria, 2,777 schools in 

 which instruction in fruit culture was given. A recent issue of 

 the " Boston Herald " contained this item : 



"School gardens, — i.e., gardens for practical instruction in 

 rearing trees, vegetables, and fruits, — are being added to nearly 

 all the public and private schools of Austria. There are now 

 already 7,769 such in existence in the Austrian monarchy alone, 

 Hungary not included. They also comprise botanical museums 

 and appliances for bee-keeping." 



In France, in 1867, there were 20,000 schools in which teachers 

 and pupils found recreation and profit in garden and fruit culture. 

 The teachers in such schools receive medals for excellence in 

 farming. 



The " Horticultural Times" for January, 1890, contains the fol- 

 lowing: "Throughout France, gardening is practically taught in 

 the primary and elementary schools. There are 28,000 of these 

 schools, each of which has a garden attached to it, and is under 

 the care of a master capable of impai'ting a knowledge of the first 

 principles of horticulture. The Minister of Public Instruction 

 has resolved that the number of school gardens shall be largely 

 increased, and that no one shall be appointed master of an ele- 

 mentary school, unless he can prove himself capable of giving 

 practical instruction in the culture of mother earth." 



It appears, then, that school gardens in France and Austria 

 have long since passed the experimental stage, and are now 

 successfully established as an essential means to the education of 

 children. In France, in 1867, there were 20,000, in 1890, 28,000 

 and many more are to come. In Austria there were 2,700, and 

 now there are 7,700, — nearh* three times as many. 



In some parts of Europe, grants of money are made to schools 

 that reach a given standard of excellence in agriculture. About 

 eighty per cent of the children of Sweden attend the Folk 

 School, corresponding to our common schools, and in them there 

 were in 1871, 22,000 children, who were instructed in horticulture 



