no CHILDREN'S GARDENS 



to be very careful and pay close attention to the parts 

 of the plot where they planted, so as not to pull the 

 young vegetables in mistake for weeds. 



The intense interest of the children makes it easy 

 for them soon to distinguish between the tiny vege- 

 tables and weeds, and the personal ownership of their 

 plot adds very much to this strong desire to learn 

 about everything that grows in it. Such work will 

 greatly strengthen their powers of accurate observation, 

 and this will be of much help to the teacher in all 

 future work and study. 



Weed plot. In response to numerous questions 

 from the children asking " Is this a good plant? " the 

 teacher can start in one of the observation plots .a 

 weed bed, taking from children's plots a few young 

 weeds, that are common in the locality, and transplant 

 them. If the teacher will select those worth learning 

 about, the weed plot will become an object of much 

 interest. Of the many common weeds well distributed 

 over the United States, the Department of Agriculture 

 has made up lists and descriptions of those used for 

 medicine, those classed as poisonous, and a number 

 classed as troublesome to the gardener. 



Weeds taken from the children's plots for this pur- 

 pose will get more of their attention than if taken 

 from the outside. It is well to limit the number to 

 about a dozen. Interesting stories can be told about 

 the great and constant war between the farmer and 

 the troublesome weeds ; and how we import from for- 

 eign countries large quantities of some of our com- 



