AN EXPERIMEET GARDEN. 



29 



plants, fodder plants, leguminons and hoe-plants, also 

 the different commercial plants ; secondly, for elemen- 

 tary exemplification of the progress in husbandry ; for 

 instance, making beds of a few square meters in circum- 

 ference, and for the diffusion of the knowledge of physics 

 and chemistry so indispensable to the husbandman. 

 The " experiment " garden serves the younger children 

 for personal observation and ratification of what is com- 

 municated to them by instruction, and also for the bene- 

 fit of outsiders who come to listen to the progressive 

 course of agricultural instruction. It would be very 

 short-sighted to found an insufficient, ordinary agricul- 

 tural school for the small farmers and day laborers, and 

 leave the mass of the country people unprovided for. 



If the public-school teacher does not possess suf- 

 ficient knowledge to furnish the progressive course of 

 agricultural instruction, the school garden can take in 

 an itinerant agricultural teacher as a guest, and the town 

 shall thus save the money which a special garden for 

 this purpose would cost.* To this " experiment gar- 

 den " for boys also belongs, in the agricultural depart- 

 ment, of the school garden, a kitchen garden, an experi- 

 ment garden for girls, and a nursery for trees. 



If there is sufficient space near the school, let the 

 school garden be joined to the school. This is very 

 desirable. If the space is too small for that, the parish 

 can give some waste spot in its territory, and there are 

 enough such places in the mountainous regions, which 

 should be near the school .if possible. Or it may be- 

 stow a little piece of land for this purpose in the neigh- 

 borhood of the village. This piece of ground must of 



* It is the custom for "wanderers," or itinerant students, to travel about for a 

 year after they have completed studies in Germany, in order to gain experience. 



