COST OF EQUIPMENT 



small garden come within an eager child's dime. 

 His enthusiasm, however, should be backed by 

 intelligent supervision and training. Enthusiasm 

 alone or even with cash will not bring sure re- 

 sults. The teacher must have definite knowl- 

 edge of the needs of plants. In its far reaching 

 results, it is almost a crime to make a child 

 work hard only to have him disappointed because 

 of some fault or error in the garden work which the 

 teacher should have known how to avoid. 



Let us then consider some estimates of what a 

 year's work costs. Two expenses loom up in con- 

 nection with the yearly maintenance of every gar- 

 den. They are those for the preparation of the 

 ground, including, of course, plowing and fertiliz- 

 ing, and those for salaries. The cost of seeds, plants 

 and other garden supplies (exclusive of tools) and 

 of the material for nature study, need not be great. 

 Even rental of land is usually not much more 

 than enough tocover its taxes. There remain, as large 

 initial expenses, tools, fencing, some kind of shelter 

 under which to hold classes and conduct work, and 

 the installing of a water supply. Locality, con- 

 dition of soil, size of garden and the measure of its 

 equipment* will all enter into an estimate of its 

 cost. Yet one can perhaps gain some idea to base 

 an estimate upon from the following data. 



♦ Germany suggests that the size of a garden to serve the purpose 

 of instruction be i acre: if to include playground, at least J acre. 



A garden of | acre (5445 sq. feet) large enough for a country school, 

 may contain perennial and annual flower borders, class, sample and 

 experimental plots, kitchen garden, forest and fruit nursery. 



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