4 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



of a city, is to take them off the streets, away from bad sur- 

 roundings, and give them a most wholesome environment. 



The effect of the garden in the country is to fill the mind 

 of the child with thoughts which are elevating and not de- 

 grading. Idle hands and leisure hours are as bad for country 

 children as for others. The wholesome refinement of the 

 garden fills the place of vulgar twaddle. Country children 

 learn to love their future life occupation. They find it has a 

 scientific foundation. 



The dullest or most backward pupils become aroused and 

 interested when given work in the garden, and other school 

 work based on what has taken place in the garden is done 

 with renewed interest. They become more regular in attend- 

 ance. The discipline and moral tone of the school are improved. 



Children become interested because they are to accomplish 

 something definite, and the training becomes concrete instead 

 of abstract. 



Because of the aroused interest on the part of the pupils, 

 the gardening takes away much of the school drudgery even 

 from the teacher. Teacher and pupils alike feel the renewed 

 interest and inspiration from the new point of view of the 

 school and its work. 



Schools giving a few hours a week to gardening find their 

 pupils excel in other studies when brought in competition with 

 schools without gardening. This is the best proof that gar- 

 dening aids the other work of the school. 



The school garden gives a relaxation from the wearisome 

 duties of the classroom, and keeps up the child's interest in 

 the whole school work. It furnishes a basis for the other lines 

 of work. It puts into concrete form many of the problems 

 in arithmetic, the lessons in reading, the language " stories " 

 or essays (see Chapter XXII). 



The nature study work of the city school is made most 

 practical when based upon the garden. The child is led 

 gradually from the known to the unknown. 



