NEW LIFE IN OLD SUBJECTS 161 



History Class came to act 'Julius Caesar/ ' !f The Way to in- 

 stall a Salt-water Aquarium," " How Two Girls found a Market 

 for their Sweet Peas." Such titles indicate no fanciful situa- 

 tions ; they are firmly linked to the children's real occupations. 

 Let us see if this is not so. 



HOW I EARNED SOME MONEY LAST SUMMER 1 



After the ground had been plowed and harrowed and I had raked 

 over a piece of ground about seventy feet by six feet, so there were no 

 big lumps in it, I took the line and made a little furrow close to the line. 

 Then I scattered the seed into it, making five such rows for about thirty 

 feet, and only two rows after that for potatoes. 



Then there was a good deal of watching for the first sign of the plants. 

 When they could be seen easily, I went up and down the rows loosening 

 the soil, so that they could grow more quickly. I planted about a foot 

 of lettuce then later on I transplanted it getting about fifty cents for it. 



I planted about thirty feet of cauliflower. When they became large 

 enough to transplant I dug them up leaving one good one every foot and 

 those that I dug up I sold to my father for one half a cent each. I sold 

 him about seven hundred so I earned three dollars and a half. When 

 they were large enough, I tied the outer leaves and sold them. When the 

 heads were nicely bunched and solid I got about two dollars for them. 



I had also planted some beets but they were ill-fated. The man was 

 cultivating some of father's trees and cultivated them under. I planted 

 some more but they were taken for beet greens while I was away. The 

 weeds grew pretty fast but with half an hour a day they were soon 

 conquered, then onions and carrots brought me some money, perhaps 

 four dollars. 



Then there was another way of earning money and that was by pick- 

 ing berries. I got two cents a quart and a backache for picking straw- 

 berries and earned about four dollars in all for them. For raspberries 

 I got two cents a pint. I earned about three dollars for them. In all 

 I earned for my summer's work seventeen dollars. 



Among all the subjects acceptable for school exercises, 

 gardening takes high rank in introducing practical issues. It 



1 School composition passed in by Beatrice Field. 



