CHAPTER II 



SCHOOL GAEDENS IN EUROPE 



THE study of gardening originated many 

 years before Christ, when the great Persian 

 King, Cyrus, laid out gardens in which the sons 

 of noblemen were instructed in horticulture. 

 Very little is known of the progress of this sci- 

 ence for more than two thousand years. Dur- 

 ing the early part of the sixteenth century, 

 botanical gardens were established by the Italian 

 University and in almost every important city 

 in Italy. Educators soon realized their impor- 

 tance, and Comenius declared, " A school garden 

 should be connected with every school where 

 children can have opportunities for leisurely 

 gazing upon trees, flowers, and herbs, and are 

 taught to enjoy them." 



About a hundred years later, Rousseau, in 

 his Emile, emphasized the importance of school 

 gardens as a factor in education. Basedow in- 

 cluded school gardens among educational agen- 

 cies. Campe with his wards planted ten thou- 

 sand trees. Salzmann wrote, " School gardens 

 have been laid out, neither to draw the attention 

 of passers-by, nor to give great returns, but to 



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