INTERNATIONAL GARDEN CLUB 131 



pletion of a first course, a bronze button for the second course, 

 and a silver button for the working out of a more advanced 

 problem. 



In addition to the work at the Garden, children have, for the 

 past four years, been supplied with penny packets of vegetable 

 and flower seeds. The first year 25,000 were called for, this 

 year over 115,800. This means a great many home gardens 

 under cultivation in the city. In the fall a Children's Horti- 

 cultural Exhibit is held, and prizes are awarded to individuals 

 and to schools. 



In addition to the above work, almost the entire time of 

 one member of staff and a portion of the time of three more is 

 required to meet the requests for talks and lectures on nature 

 study, plant life, and gardening at public and private schools, 

 and before mothers' clubs, and various other organizations. 



One of the greatest obstacles to satisfactory work in children's 

 gardens has been the lack of adequately trained teachers, and 

 opportunities to secure thorough preparation are not numer- 

 ous. An interest in children, a mere liking for the work, or even 

 native teaching ability, while highly essential, are not, of 

 themselves, sufficient to insure success. Facing this situation 

 the Botanic Garden organized a course for the preparation of 

 teachers of gardening. The work was planned to extend 

 through the entire year, so that an opportunity would be af- 

 forded to get first hand experience in the garden operations of 

 each season. The course includes both theory and practice 

 with sub-courses in soils and agricultural principles, elementary 

 botany, nature study, fungous and insect pests of the garden, 

 pedagogy, genetics, woodwork, plant propagation, and green- 

 house work. Each teacher in training must plant a garden 

 and carry it through every operation to the harvesting of a 

 crop, doing herself everything she will be expected to teach 

 her future pupils. Furthermore she must do actual teaching 

 in the garden and greenhouse under the supervision of a critic 

 teacher. Before the final certificate is awarded, each teacher 

 must put in a summer's work with children in the Botanic 

 Garden under supervision. 



