128 INTERNATIONAL GARDEN CLUB 



an audience of 800-1500 boys and girls of twelve to sixteen 

 or eighteen years of age, but such a plan, though giving impos- 

 ing figures of attendance for annual reports and newspaper 

 articles, probably yields the smallest returns of any educational 

 process. 



As arranged at the Brooklyn Garden, children meet in small 

 classes of from 25-30, and thus each pupil may receive indi- 

 vidual attention from the instructor. Most of the sessions are 

 of the nature of laboratory work — field trips and actual work 

 in the plant house or garden. 



The classes are of two kinds; those organized by the Garden, 

 apart from schools, and school classes that come to the Botanic 

 Garden with their teacher. In the latter case some classes 

 come to the Garden the first period in the morning (8.30 or 

 9.00), going thence to their schools; others come to the Garden 

 for the last period, going thence directly home. The Garden 

 classes proper meet afternoons after school, and on Saturday 

 mornings. The latter work is, of course, all purely voluntary. 



Moreover, except for the school classes, every child must pay 

 something, however nominal, for his instruction. For one 

 course, meeting ten times, the charge is only twenty-five cents; 

 but this is amply sufficient to secure the educatonal advantage 

 which is the chief reason for making a charge. After having 

 tried both plans (charging and not charging) it has been clearly 

 demonstrated that the children are not only much more prompt 

 and regular in their attendance, but are more certain of re- 

 maining to the end of the course, have more respect for the 

 work, and show more zest and interest. One boy has walked 

 as far as five miles every Saturday for several weeks, and an- 

 other boy has taken a round trip journey of three hours on 

 ferry, subway, and trolley every Saturday for more than a year. 

 Boys do not make such efforts to "go to school" voluntarily, 

 and in addition to regular school duties, unless they are in- 

 tensely interested. 



The children have voluntarily organized a Boys' Club (now 

 having over 500 members), and a Girls' Club (having over 400 

 members). Certificates are awarded on the satisfactory com- 



