CORRELATION WITH SCHOOL WORK 325 



metical problem does not train powers of reason' and under- 

 standing. Problems in arithmetics are too frequently con- 

 cerned with matters bej'ond the child's experience and knowl- 

 edge. It is far better to have the problems of a practical 

 nature regarding the things at hand. They should deal with 

 the experiences of the child. Gardening opens wide the door 

 for the introduction of such problems. Students working 

 with statements, the meaning of which they can understand, 

 will learn operations and arithmetical principles much more 

 rapidly than when they are puzzling over problems which are 

 beyond their conception. Experiments, such as seed testing, 

 form a better basis for practice in percentage than do the 

 imaginary stocks and bonds of older people. 



A great difficulty in the use of practical garden problems 

 is that many of the text books on arithmetic cannot be so 

 closely followed. If such texts are used to teach methods of 

 proportion, miscellaneous problems to illustrate it may be 

 devised by both teacher and pupils. When a few sets of such 

 practical problems have been formulated, they may be used 

 to much better advantage, and the principles of arithmetic 

 will be learned in less than half the time formerly required. 

 Thus the teacher of the school finds the pupils learn more in 

 arithmetic through the school garden plan in shorter time 

 than by the old plan. The teacher of arithmetic who has ex- 

 perienced such results will not say that there is not room for 

 school gardening. 



Suggestive Problems. — The following are a few arithmetic 

 problems, based on the school garden work. Many others may be 

 made up by teachers, and even by students themselves. 



1. Bordeaux mixture may be made up of 4 pounds of copper 

 sulfate, 4 pounds of lime and 40 gallons of water. The lime may be 

 valued at one cent a pound and the sulfate at 4 cents a pound. If 

 20 gallons of the mixture are required for spraying one-eighth of an 

 acre of potatoes, what is the cost of the material for this purpose? 



2. Suppose two applications of this spray material are required 

 to prevent potato blight, and each application costs 50 cents for 

 labor. What is the total cost in fighting the blight? 



