Preface 



Children take naturally to gardening, and few 

 occupations count so much for their development, 

 — mental, moral and physical. 



Where children's garden clubs and community 

 gardens have been tried, the little folks have 

 shown an aptitude surprising to their elders, and 

 under exactly the same natural, climatic con- 

 ditions, the children have often obtained astonish- 

 ingly greater results. Moreover, in the poor dis- 

 tricts many a family table, previously unattractive 

 and lacking in nourishment, has been made attrac- 

 tive as well as nutritous, with their fresh green 

 vegetables and flowers. 



Ideas of industry and thrift, too, are at the 

 same time inculcated without words, and habits 

 formed that affect their character for life. A 

 well-known New York City Public School super- 

 intendent once said to me that she had a flower 

 bed every year in the children's gardens, where 

 a troublesome boy could always be controlled by 

 giving to him the honor of its care and keeping. 



