PREFACE 
Tue author is one of those who firmly believe that 
the teaching of gardening in every school would yield 
very rich returns educationally. The author believes, 
further, that the best instruction in the subject must 
include both classroom work and practice in the actual 
growing of plants. An intellectual basis for the work 
that will lift it to a plane above a mere manual appren- 
ticeship and an opportunity for the practical applica- 
tion of knowledge gained are alike necessary. 
It is with the earnest wish to serve both teacher and 
pupil and with the hope of further extending good 
teaching of gardening that this text has been prepared. 
The aim has been to make it as easy as possible for the 
teacher to present theory and practice together, and 
by making the practical directions very full and con- 
crete to make it possible for the teacher to devote his 
time more to the wider aspects of the work. It is hoped 
that such a text will not only save the time of teachers 
but will also serve as a guide to those of less experience 
in their work. 
The first part of the book deals chiefly with the most 
important facts and principles of growth and repro- 
duction in garden plants. The deliberate aim is to give 
the pupil an appreciation of the plant as a living thing 
and an understanding of how it lives. The later chap- 
ters deal chiefly with the various garden crops and the 
practical work of growing them. 
The writer has been a home gardener all his life, and 
in his experimental work in plant breeding he has had 
occasion to grow many thousands of plants. Further- 
more, he has been a teacher in elementary school, high 
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