CHILDREN'S GARDENS 203 



the flag is raised, and the children who desire plots 

 flock in eager crowds to register their names for pos- 

 sible land claims. Each year shows a large increase 

 in this desire. 



SPADING AND PLANTING. 



The systematic method of spading, which has been 

 in practice for several years, has made it possible for 

 the children to do more and more thorough work in 

 preparing the ground. The park laborers, not being 

 able to finish the regrading of the garden in the fall, 

 they completed their work in the spring. Outside of 

 this, the first spading was done by the children, but 

 it was necessary to have the mid-summer spading done 

 by laborers, as the prolonged and intense heat was so 

 debilitating that the children could not cope with the 

 situation. The open weather continued later than 

 usual in the fall, which made it possible for the chil- 

 dren to prepare the ground for spring. Their enthusi- 

 asm for this part of the work is so great that one hun- 

 dred children stood in line and waited patiently for an 

 hour, watching eagerly for their more fortunate com- 

 panions to grow weary, and so leave an unused spade. 

 Deeming this too much of a test of patience, and the 

 hours after school being so short when active work can 

 be done, a sufficient number of spades has been sup- 

 plied to enable each child to participate in a jolly hour 

 of active, useful work. 



When all is prepared for planting, postals are sent 

 out in the usual way, taking the names as they come 



