236 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



January, 1914 



medium sized seed. Sprout in damp blotters. 

 Count the result after you believe all have 

 sprouted that will. If eighty have sprouted out of 

 one hundred lettuce seed, then that seed is 80 per 

 cent. good. So percentages are worked out. 



Garden plans. This is school work often ne- 

 glected. We offer prizes for just this sort of work. 

 It is important. Use dotted lines on the plan to 

 indicate rows of seed, continuous lines for out- 

 lines, put points of compass and scale on the plan. 

 Let this be a part of arithmetic, drawing, and 

 spelling work. 



The Garden Movement in 

 West Virginia 



HELP comes from above" is a saying which 

 applies well to the garden movement in West 

 Virginia. The mountain climate, and the short 

 mid-winter term of school have made our element- 

 ary teachers hesitate to undertake this work, but 

 our higher institutions of learning and our state 

 agricultural leaders have shown the way. 



Through the summer school which is attended 

 by a large number of teachers of all grades from 

 all parts of the state, the State University is setting 

 standards in many kinds of school work. The 

 classes in nature study, elementary agriculture, 

 and school gardening are always large, hence much 

 enthusiasm for this kind of work radiates from the 

 summer school of our University. The accompany- 

 ing picture shows the general University school 

 garden. Sometimes a garden with plots for each 

 student is used. 



For the last two or three years, the State Board 

 of Regents (which has charge of the six state normal 

 schools) has been making a determined effort to 

 turn the work of these schools ruralward whence 

 comes their support. Quite naturally, normal 

 school gardens have resulted. Three thousand 

 normal school students, either observing or taking 

 a part in this innovation, must have its effect on 

 the schools back at home where about 225 graduates 

 go to teach each year. Some of these normals have 

 fall agricultural festivals when products from gar- 

 den, field, and orchard are displayed and discussed. 



The same Board has charge of two preparatory 

 schools and two institutes for colored youth of 

 secondary grade. In all of these institutions good 

 work in gardening is done. These gardens add 

 many fresh vegetables to the dormitory tables, 

 serve as ornaments to the campus, make ideal 

 laboratories for nature study, agriculture and some 

 phases of chemistry and sociology. 



The school system in this state is so closely 

 organized that one part cannot be affected without 



the same influence, by a process of capillary at- 

 traction, reaching every other part. While we 

 have no way of obtaining exact figures on this work 

 from the elementary schools, we hear of the work 

 "breaking out" in many parts of the State. How- 

 ever, it must be remembered that, until the school 

 year is much lengthened or the time of the term 

 changed, most of the garden work of pupils must 

 be done at their boines or at school under vacation 

 supervision. 



In accord ince with this sentiment, this state 

 is planning to carry out a unique plan. We now 

 have in West Virginia sixty-three district (town- 

 ship) superintendents of rural schools. These 

 men are in position to keep in very close touch with 

 the communities in their districts, and for that 

 reason an effort will be made to provide an annual 

 salary for such of these men as are prepared to lead 

 in agricultural work. Plans for garden and club 

 work and simple demonstration work can be 

 organized during the school term and followed up 

 by visits and social centre meetings during the 

 long vacations. 



About five thousand boys and girls are doing 

 club work in corn and tomato contests in West 

 Virginia. The College of Agriculture, in coopera- 

 tion with the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, has charge of this work. The county and 

 district superintendents of schools and the teachers 

 act as agents and turn this work to broad edu- 

 cational purposes. The Extension Division of the 

 College of Agriculture has organized a good number 

 of city garden clubs and recently held the first 

 contest for these city gardeners. 



While West Virginia cities have been somewhat 

 backward in the garden movement, many of them 

 have made good beginnings, as shown by the follow- 

 ing facts from a report from Geo. E. Hubbs, the 

 former superintendent of the schools of Mounds- 

 ville, a town of 10,000 inhabitants. The first year 

 this work was undertaken 3,600 packages of seeds 

 (40 per cent, vegetable, and 60 per cent, flower 

 seeds) were distributed to the pupils for home 

 gardens. The second year the demand greatly 

 increased and 6,500 packages were distributed to 

 about 1,000 boys and girls. The children showed 

 great interest and delight in this work, as they 

 brought their flowers and glowing reports of big 

 profits to school the following autumn. Some 

 vacant city lots were used for garden purposes. 



The following extract is from a report of L. J. 

 Hanifan, Rural School Supervisor, and one of the 

 judges of the prize gardens of Gary, W. Va. 



Of special significance to educators and to all others who 

 seek to serve their fellow men is the educative work done by 

 the United States Coa! and Coke Company, operating tweb-? 



mining plants at and near Gary, and employing a total of 3.200 

 men. These twelve plants are under the general supervision 

 of Col. E. C. O'Toole, of Gary. 



This company has for the past three years offered a prize 

 of $10 for the best garden, and a prize of $5 for the best yard 

 at each of the twelve mining plants. The Committee of Award 

 this year was composed of Dr. E. A. Schubert, traveling and 

 industrial agent of the N. & W. R. R.; Professor C. R. Titlow, 

 of ttte College of Agriculture, Morgantown; Colonel Swope of 

 the McDowell Recorder; and L. J. Hanifan. It was estimated 

 that the total value of the gardens of these twelve plants is 

 between $15,000 and $20,000. Many of the gardens were 

 worth $100. The yards in many cases were very beautiful. 



Charleston, W. Va. J. F. Marsh. 



Department of Education. 



Monthly Calendar for Young 

 Gardeners — January 



1st Week 5-10. Send for a seed catalogue and 

 start making out your order. Buy such seed now 

 as you wish to start indoors for early plantings. 

 Include seed of peas, sweet pear, tomatoes, carrots, 

 radish, lettuce, onion, and pepper. Measure the 

 garden plot and make a plan of it on paper. Show 

 on this plan just where each sowing is to be. Look 

 over your garden tools and repair any which need 

 it. Make a coldframe for spring use. In odd 

 times make some flats, stakes and labels for use 

 later. 



2d Week 12-17. Sow some seeds of onions, 

 carrots and radishes in boxes. Put these in a warm 

 place. If your mother's lawn is a poor one, scatter 

 bone meal over it. Put on a handful to each square 

 yard of surface. Get your garden diary ready and 

 start it at once. Put in it all your expenses even 

 the smallest amounts you pay for seed. Bring 

 some of the pots of bulbs out of the dark and cold. 

 Try forcing gladiolus in the house. Pot up some 

 early variety like the Bride. Keep the house plants 

 clean with frequent washings in clean, warm water. 



3d Week 19-24. Lettuce may be started in 

 flats. Sow garden peas in pots. These will pro- 

 duce an early crop. Sow sweet peas if you have a 

 coldframe. Sow these in pots. Start a few pots 

 of dwarf sweet peas and place in sunny windows. 

 Make some sieves for soil sifting. Small boxes 

 with the bottoms knocked out and replaced with 

 netting will answer every purpose. 



4th Week 26-31. Write to Washington for 

 their bulletin on school gardens. In school garden 

 work give lessons on germination, soils and seed 

 selection. Have upper grades draw plan of school 

 garden to a scale and mark out each grade's section. 

 Hunt up literature on what other schools have done 

 in gardening: e. g., Cleveland, Ohio; Portland, 

 Ore.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Providence, R. I.; 

 Yonkers, N. Y., and many other places. 



The garden of the colored students. Seedlings are raised in the greenhouse for the outdoor garden 



