44 



THE SCHOOL GARDEN. 



culture, vegetable and flower raising, according as 

 sex, skill and inclination attract to the one or the 

 other. It is not desirable, therefore, that all should 

 learn every thing, which perhaps would not be prac- 

 ticable, and might interfere with the special lessons 

 of the school. And the agricultural " experiment gar- 

 den," within the school garden, will be of advantage in 

 its whole significance only to those boys who will enjoy 

 the progressive course of agricultural instruction after, 

 they have done with the public school. This kind of 

 instruction is already partly obligatory, and it will soon 

 be so where it is not so now. 



The city school garden contains different material of 

 culture from the country school garden. Here espe- 

 cially, roomy, airy, shaded play and gymnastic grounds 

 will compensate the city children for the want of home 

 gardens, and preserve the young from dangerous 

 sedentary pleasures, as well as from the perilous amuse- 

 ments of the streets. Then it will teach them to know 

 the principal trees, shrubs, field, commercial and other- 

 wise characteristic plants of the home region in the 

 spirit of Liiben, without systematic science. This is the 

 least that can be required of either country or city 

 school gardens ; but if each of them offers this minimum, 

 the task of the school garden is essentially fulfilled, and 

 so much is attainable to-day in the city school garden. 

 A somewhat later time will perhaps make the school 

 garden the school of work everywhere, as soon as the 

 teachers are capable of doing it. 



As to the rest, it is not to be overlooked that practi- 

 cally the selection of the elements necessary to the 

 school garden is, first, a place for it, and secondly, the 

 means of the given community. 



