PLANTS FOR THE CITY POOR 33 



away, and replaced by good soil. Friends have sent 

 seeds and bulbs and plants ; stones have been gathered 

 for a rock-garden, the boys vi^ork with enthusiasm, and 

 the Norwich school-garden in summer is as bright a spot 

 as one could see. 



The young gardeners are instructed for an hour a day 

 three times a week, and show great aptitude in learning. 

 What a pleasant change from books and slates, and how 

 educating in the best sense of the word ! No occupation 

 brings to light the better qualities of the mind so much 

 as gardening, even if it is on ever so small a scale. 

 Patience, forethought, sympathy, and tenderness all belong 

 to the gardener — they must do so or his work will be a 

 failure. 



It has often struck me that country board schools are 

 not doing the good they might, in the way of influencing 

 their scholars to love the land and take an interest in it. 

 Children are very happy in their board schools. They 

 hurry away as early in the morning as possible, from 

 comfortless stuffy cottages to the well-warmed, well-aired 

 school-room, where they find the joys of emulation and 

 intelligent companionship. In the afternoon it is the 

 same, with intervals for football or games. What time 

 is left to help with work in their own little garden- 

 patches ? These lie neglected, while vegetables and 

 garden-produce are purchased by mother from the travel- 

 ling market-cart, dearer and less fresh than if home- 

 grown. When the boys come home they pore over a 

 borrowed book, or practice sums and easy drawing. 

 Every one of them " means to go to London," and live 

 by his brains, not at all by his hands ; and he is no more at 

 home with a spade or a pitchfork than if he came out of 

 a London slum. There must be something wrong about 

 this, and the something could very easily be remedied. 



At the risk of being digressive, I cannot help saying 

 that I am afraid that Germany is ahead of us in the matter 



D 



