292 NATURE-STUDY 



Pupils will find grafting very interesting work. They 

 should be encouraged to continue to practise it at home. 



Competitive Culture: It is an interesting experiment 

 to have the children cultivate plants at home to see who can 

 raise the finest. In lower grades this competition may be in 

 flowers and simple vegetables. In the upper grades, especially 

 in the rural villages and schools, this might be made very 

 practical. Here the boys, especially, could select seeds of the 

 best sort, and try different methods of cultivation or fertilizing 

 special crops, etc. A very practical thing would be to raise 

 corn or sugar-beets in competition. In such competitive cult- 

 ure it is to be understood that the children should have no 

 assistance from parents or any one else. A certain num- 

 ber of seeds, bulbs, or slips may be given to each, along 

 with specific directions for planting and for the care of the 

 plants. Then let each child be held responsible for their cult- 

 ure. Of course there will be many failures, yet even from 

 these sometimes valuable lessons may be learned, if not in 

 plant culture, perhaps in self-culture — persistency, regularity, 

 forethought, etc. In some cities there are public societies 

 that further such work by furnishing the seeds or giving prizes. 



The different schools in the town might join in a com- 

 petition for the best general school garden, or the best borders, 

 or window-boxes, or the best arrangement of the shrubs, 

 beds, etc. Of course this will not mean much to the chil- 

 dren if the work is done by the teachers, the janitor, or some 

 hired gardener. It should represent the efforts of the pupils 

 of the school. Then they will take more interest and pride 

 in the work, and will look after it more. Committees should 

 be appointed to visit the various schools at different times 

 in the season to adjudge the reward. 



