CHAPTER III 

 CHILDHOOD IN THE GARDEN 



IF all children might be brought up in gardens, there 

 would probably be few criminals raised, and many 

 of the more unhappy developments in the race be 

 finally swept away. Practically every child loves gar- 

 dens, adores digging in the ground, and comes very 

 soon to taking an interest in the right way of planting 

 and caring for growing things. Put a child into a gar- 

 den, and with little instruction and no trouble you make 

 him healthy, happy, and quite wise enough. How bet- 

 ter can you educate his sense of beauty and order or 

 cultivate in him a perception of natural laws ? Give 

 him his own special corner, his feeling of responsibility. 

 The burden of flowers is a slight one to lay on young 

 shoulders, and will broaden and straighten the alert 

 young bodies, not bow them down. Answer all his 

 questions too ; it may necessitate a good deal of study 

 on your part, but you won't be sorry for that. 



On many of the English estates a portion of the land 

 is set aside for the "children's garden," and as much 

 attention is given to its arrangement and completeness 



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