534 Gardening amongst the Scottish Labourers, 



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parties ; the schoolmaster, the children, their parents, and the 

 landed proprietors of the parish. 



In the first place, the schoolmaster receiving all the benefit 

 of the largely increased produce of his garden, as improved 

 and cultivated by the children, may be supposed not unwilling 

 to give every attention to instruct his pupils in gardening, 

 were only sufficient ground afforded for the purpose. 



Next, to stimulate the children to exertion and industry, 

 there should be several examinations of the garden at stated 

 periods of the year. To these examinations should be invited 

 all in the parish who take an interest in such improvements. 

 Various rewards, of the following kinds, should be distributed 

 among the young cultivators ; such as packets of seeds, con- 

 taining all the useful vegetables, and a few flowers ; these 

 packets to be so numerous, that nearly every child should be 

 able to carry home one with him. Besides these papers of 

 seeds, garden tools of different kinds, books connected with 

 gardening and rural subjects, and even small sums of money, 

 might be distributed, as means to encourage the children to 

 diligence and attention. 



The parents, likewise, receiving through their children 

 packets of seeds to be sown in their gardens by their little 

 hands, possessing the skill and knowledge of raising them, 

 will warmly cooperate in introducing this system of school 

 gardening into Scotland. 



The proprietor even, although not immediately benefited, 

 cannot fail ultimately of deriving advantage from improve- 

 ments, in the taste for gardening, which the children, ac- 

 quiring at the parish school, would spread over all the country. 

 That their property would be more safe, and that the people 

 around them would be more independent, deriving more food 

 from their gardens being well cultivated, must be obvious to 

 all ; also, that the moral habits of the people would be greatly 

 improved, as there would be no necessity for breaking into 

 gardens, and stealing their produce. 



Thus it will be apparent that this scheme of parochial 

 school gardening, interesting the schoolmaster, the children, 

 the parents, and the landed proprietors^ will not fail of being 

 generally beneficial to every one. 



The youth of the country will, so instructed, grow up with 

 a love of rural affairs ; and, instead of throwing away their 

 time and money in low dissipation, both will be devoted in 

 their leisure hours to useful pursuits. Thus Scotland, from 

 being a country famed for its good agriculture, will become 

 equally so for its cottage gardening ; and every cottage will 

 have its garden, stored with all the useful potherbs and vege- 



