PREFACE 



THE author is one of those who firmly believe that 

 the teaching of gardening in every school would yield 

 very rich returns educationally. The author believes, 

 further, that the best instruction in the subject must 

 include both classroom work and practice in the actual 

 growing of plants. An intellectual basis for the work 

 that will lift it to a plane above a mere manual appren- 

 ticeship and an opportunity for the practical applica- 

 tion of knowledge gained are alike necessary. 



It is with the earnest wish to serve both teacher and 

 pupil and with the hope of further extending good 

 teaching of gardening that this text has been prepared. 

 The aim has been to make it as easy as possible for the 

 teacher to present theory and practice together, and 

 by making the practical directions very full and con- 

 crete to make it possible for the teacher to devote his 

 time more to the wider aspects of the work. It is hoped 

 that such a t&t will not only save the time of teachers 

 but will also serve as a guide to those of less experience 

 in their work. 



The first part of the book deals chiefly with the most 

 important facts and principles of growth and repro- 

 duction in garden plants. The deliberate aim is to give- 

 the pupil an appreciation of the plant as a living thing 

 and an understanding of how it lives. The later chap- 

 ters deal chiefly with the various garden crops and the 

 practical work of growing them. 



The writer has been a home gardener all his life, and 

 in his experimental work in plant breeding he has had 

 occasion to grow many thousands of plants. Further- 

 more, he has been a teacher in elementary school, high 



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