38 SCHOOL AND HOME GARDENING 



for this purpose, and suitable sizes may be selected from 

 catalogues. 



Avoid using labels that are very small, as they are too 

 easily covered up and lost. 



As soon as the rows are staked, beds are assigned to indi- 

 vidual pupils; the name of the pupil should be plainly printed 

 on the side of the stake which faces away from the plants. 

 On the side toward the plants will, perhaps later, be placed 

 the kind of plants or seed, variety, date planted, and perhaps 

 number of feet or fraction of row occupied. In placing the 

 name and label on the stakes a very soft black lead pencil is 

 simplest and best ; th ; black lead lasts well on painted wood. 

 Never use ink nor so-called indelible pencil, as they become 

 washed off in the rain (see problems Chapter XXII). 



Formal Gardens. — In private and public gardens of the 

 Old World are frequently found beds of plants in perfect geo- 

 metrical forms, instead of natural grouping. Such S5Timietry 

 of outline and location of plants is less commonly found in 

 American gardens. However, it is sometimes desired for 

 flower beds in front lawns. In school garden work the so- 

 called natural method of planting is usually preferred. Too 

 much attention to fanciful forms such as stars, anchors, 

 crosses, crescents, bells or wheels is not profitable for the 

 pupils. The geometry or measurement of it is good practice ; 

 but pupils should not be trained to believe that such forms are 

 essential, or even very desirable, for garden beds of any kind. 

 To be sure, all flower beds surrounded by green grass must 

 have some form, but a simple circle, oval or rectangle causes 

 the obsen^er to give his attention to the flowers rather than 

 to the form of the bed. A good plan is to have the flowers in 

 long beds or borders. 



Window Gardens. — Some good, substajitial boxes may be 

 made by the pupils to hang under the windows or set on the 

 window sills. They should be painted both inside and outside 

 to preserve the wood and add to their appearance. These 



