IN VACATION AND TERM TIME 



gardens last year. Members of the latter are 

 carrying further the study of the vegetables they 

 raised. They use their summer note books and 

 add items from the winter course. Home work 

 is encouraged and each member must grow at 

 least one plant, even if the pot be only an old 

 tomato can. The children are thus held together 

 throughout the year by their play and social 

 instincts and their delight in watching what they 

 have planted come to fruition. As one of the 

 vice-presidents of the Association expressed it, 

 "continuity of work gives double efficiency." 

 During the autumn the garden was used as a 

 general playground, and in December it was 

 flooded and converted into a skating rink. 



The public schools of Pittsburgh are under a 

 decentralized system and each ward runs its own 

 schools. Thus it happens that the Pittsburgh 

 Playground Association receives an annual grant 

 from the city to carry on its work, which includes 

 schoolyard playgrounds, recreation park play- 

 grounds, recreation centers (in summer, virtually 

 vacation schools without their formalism), and 

 the new department, established in 1909, of 

 nature study and school gardening. Much at- 

 tention is given to these two subjects. School 

 gardens are to be located at each of the large rec- 

 reation centers with their playgrounds, and in 

 other suitable localities. A number are already 

 well established. This is virtually social settle- 

 ment work. 



23> 



