62 CHILDREN'S GARDENS 



stantly asks, "Why?" To intelligently answer his 

 " Why," not merely with words but with object les- 

 sons in work which he performs himself, is one of 

 the better means of maintaining his interest and teach- 

 ing him to turn out workmanlike product. Keep the 

 share of work, and the kind of work, well within the 

 strength of each individual. Overfatigue is a com- 

 mon source of lack of interest. 



Let us suppose a piece of ground covered with 

 stones and rubbish and rather poor soil. Divide the 

 children into groups. Give each group a section to 

 clear of everything easily movable. 



Children dearly love to use wheelbarrows. If there 

 is a place nearby to dump what is cleared off, it can 

 be carried there in wheelbarrows. If not, put it in 

 piles in the least objectionable place and plant run- 

 ning vines, like pumpkin, to cover it. 



When the larger materials are cleared away, start 

 the raking to gather up the rubbish. Small stores 

 are not objectionable. Use as many rakes as possi 

 ble and keep the rakers in a line. Give each a space 

 of about six feet wide to rake. Have them leave the 

 raked-up material in piles to be removed with wheel- 

 barrows. Undesirable rubbish that cannot be carried 

 away may be burned or buried. A handbarrow is a 

 fair substitute for a wheelbarrow, and is made of a 

 box with two side bar handles, and carried by two 

 or four children; or a contrivance like the Indian 

 Travois, two poles lashed at one end, with the other 



