December 21, 1912. 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



983 



THE POSSIBILITIES OF A 

 SCHOOL GARDEN.— V. 



Its Influence on Character. 



It may seem like stretcliing the possi- 

 bilities of a school garden to urge that it 

 can have any influence in the above direc- 

 tion, but do not let us make any mistake 

 in thinking that education liegins and ends 

 with the acquirement of so much knowledge. 

 It is something more, for education also 

 means the 1>uikling up and moulding of 

 character; and in this particular, perhaps, 

 the future of the nation's manhood and 

 womanhood is more in the hands of the 

 elementary school teacher than anybotly 

 else. There can be no doubt that the school 

 garden can, and does, have an influence on 

 the character of the boy, for it teaches 

 moral lessons in self-respect, self-control, 

 self-reliance, patience, and unselfishness ; 

 and, besides, it brings out faculties of in- 

 ventiveness and resource. School gardeners 

 learn to respect other people's property 

 through the mere fact that they have pro- 

 perty of their own, in the shape of the ])lots 

 and the crops growing on them. 



Let me take the j)oints I have mentioned 

 one by one. The self-r(^s])ectiug boy in tlu' 

 school would never tolerate an untidy plot. 

 His aim is to have it ocuial to or'bettei- 

 than his father s gard(Mi at home ; and 

 more than once I have seen lads flush crim- 

 son and hang their heads in shame when 

 they have admitted in low tones that their 

 gardens were a disgrace to them. And I 

 lia ve seen the same lads hold up their beads 

 in self-respect Avhen I have paid a later 

 visit, and congratulated them on tlu^ iui- 

 provement in their ])lots. School garden in 

 teacher liabits of tidiness and order, 

 lad who is untidy in other ways is just the 

 sanie in the garden ; but his fault is more 

 plainly seen. There he has to stand the 

 criticism of the teacher, the insjx^etoi-, and 

 his felkw-i)U]>i]s himself. This not infr(>- 

 quently prompts him to mend his ways in 

 the garden, which is the first step towards 

 improvement in other directions. 



r 



In regard to self-control, let me quote an 

 extract from a letter recently received from 

 a highly successful teacher of school gar- 

 dening. He writes: With the school 

 garden we are aided in the problem of in- 

 stilling into the minds of our pupils fhe 

 value of ^ self-control. The scholar in the 

 garden sees the ripe strawberry, plum, or 

 ather fruit, but he controls his longing, and 

 for the honour of himself and the school 



Tli« 



he does 



Of coi;rse 



jve are oooasionally troubled with ' finger 

 'Hight,' but wben tbis occurs we have a 

 ^ood opportunity of showing that theoffen- 

 <lf'i- has lost his self-control." It is scarcely 

 iii ct'ssary to add a word to tliis testimony 

 <>^ a school teacher, who writes from prac- 

 iK'al cxjKMicjice. 



In th(i gai<leii the boy must exercise the 

 virtue of ]iatieiu c. He puts the iseeds into 

 the ground, but has to wait for the ger- 

 inmation of the same and the development 

 of the plant. He has his losses and dis- 

 appomtments; and, to use the words of 

 that well-known member of Parliament, 

 r- Charles Bathurst, in a recent speech, 

 trardening^ to my mind, brings boys very 

 closely to their Creator, and everyone who 

 takes an active part in it realises that he 

 an unseen assistant in the task to which 

 puts his hand." Every word of this is 

 true and that contact with Nature which 

 tliG boy has in the garden can hardlv fail 



\m "'"^^^"^ "* teaching lessons of patience. 



Where do sympathy and unselfishness 

 f^ome m? In many school garden classes 

 there are boys who are strong aiul hoalthv 

 «nd boys also who are weakly and pun>' ; 

 »ut m the garden -you find the strong help- 



ing the weak. Not long ago a boy was 

 composing the story of his gardening lesson, 

 and, looking over his shoulder, I read the 

 following words: ''I got on with my dig- 

 ging, and w^hen I had finished my plot I 

 went and helped Arthur Jones, because lie 

 is lame." This was not written in a spirit 

 of boastfulness or self-praise, Init was a 

 mere statement of fact, and it displayed 

 fellow-feeling and practical sympathy with 

 the other boy, who was less able to perform 

 the task. Just as adult gardeners, as a 

 riile, are generous in sharing surplus ])lants 

 Avith their neighbours, one sees the same 

 thing on school jjlots, tliough the giver fre- 

 quently knows that he is in competition 

 with the receiver for a ])rize oi- some otliei- 

 award. 



The school garden makes the Wy self- 

 reliant, (because he gets into the Avay of 

 taking initiative, and depending on him- 

 self. This is particularly noticeable when 

 lK)yK in their second year's course are giv 

 somewliat a free hand, and are not entirely 

 dependent on the instructions of the 

 teacher. Frequently I see l>oys at j^lay- 

 time walk almost unconsciously to the tool 

 shed, take <lown some implement, and use 

 it on the garden plot without being in- 

 structed, and entirely on their ovm initia- 

 t'wv. That they prefer this to playing is 

 obvious • it shows a fondness for the garden, 

 and, further, a confidence in themselves in 

 doing work that they knew Avanted doing. 

 Yeai-s ago no teacher would have thought 

 of sending several boys out of school to 

 ]>erform a task w ithout supervision ; but 

 since the establishment of gardens it is 

 quite a common thing to see three or four 

 boys working steadily aAvay at some task 

 or other, with no master in attendance. 

 They feel tlu^ res])onsibility of having <on- 

 fidence placed in them ; they are somebfxly ; 

 they are doing something on their own '' ; 

 and^ in shoi't, that fa<'ulty of self-reliance 

 is api^ealed to with good effect. 



The gard(Mi boy at school, like his father 

 in the garden at home, is inventive; if he 

 wants a thing he makes it ; he gets into a 

 habit of contriving, and that pocket-knife 

 of his is used to better use than whittling 

 away a piece of stick to no purpose. Verv 

 often the bo^^'s contrivances are of a crude 

 and rough-and-readj^ type; but they have 

 the virtue of being his own. And if they 

 serA'e the purpose, as they invariably do, 

 that is the main point. 



Lastly, one may consider the influence of 

 the garden on the "dull boy'' who every- 

 lx)dy knows, and in respect of him the 

 teacher referred to above writes as follows : 



That dull boy in the school, how he wor- 

 ries the teacher ! He has no self-reliance, 

 and depends on anybody for help. But 

 when he is put in cbarge of a garden plot 

 he finds that his ])lants grow as Avell as those 

 of his sharper school-fellows, and he dis- 

 eoA^ers that he is <'apable of produi-ing 

 equally as good results. He then begins to 

 have faith and confidence in himself, and 

 there is no better method of (encouraging 

 such a lad than by giving him a garden 

 plot.'' 



There is abundant ev idence to show that 

 the school garden may be a useful factor 

 in the education of a hoy who is not much 

 good at books and figures, but can use his 

 hands. He may be low down in the i lass 

 in school, but in the garden he comes u]> 

 level with the brighter boys, can hold his 

 own with them, and this gives him -con- 

 fidence. In fact, in the gardtMi many a dull 

 hoy finds his vocatirm ; and, realising that 

 he excels somewhtMe. and is not altojietber 



(»ut of it, he is \vss tempted to get into 

 that habit of thinking that becaus<^ he is 

 slow and dull, and cannot do things so well 

 in the school, it is not worth while trying 

 to do them at all. H. 



The plant 



PERPETUAL CARNATIONS. 



(Continued from page 968.) 



Removal to Under Glass. 



s should ibe housed at the end 

 (►f August, and wlien placing- tliem in their 

 winter quarters remove any disciised leaves, 

 ale^o see tliat the pots are clean and free 

 from weeds. It is important to give them 

 all the air posis-ible at tliis pi^riod, botli by 

 iglit and day, but when the outside con- 

 ditions become cooler so regulate the ventila- 

 tors and the hot- water system as to mainta'in 

 a mininuim temperature of from 48 degrees 

 to 50 degrees by night, with a rise of a few 

 degree^ in tJie day time. It is desirable to 

 admit a little air tbroughout the night, when 

 it can be done without lowering the tempera- 

 ture -too much. It should be remembered 

 that carnations must not be subjected to ex. 

 cesisive' fire heat; any attempt to force on the 

 flowers will l>e disastrous, as it would create 

 weak growth and flowers of poor quality 

 and substance. 



Occasionally ligflit top-dressings of carna- 

 tion manure are a great help to the opening 

 buds, a really good inanure produces large 

 UloDuivs of fine colour besides stimulating 

 growth. During the winter, fertilisers should 

 be applied sparingly, but after the tuini of 

 the year the plants will readily respond to 

 judicious feeding. It is an advantage to 

 spray between the pots during lirigli t 

 weather; but when it is damp and foggy en_ 

 deavour to maintain a dry, buoyant atmo- 

 sphere. 



s 



Damp^ close air in a carnation house h 

 extremely hurtful, and one of the chief causes 

 of disease. Keep the plants carefully dis- 

 budded, bnt in doing tliis remove llie lateral 

 buds gradually; to disbud too c!t>>c]v at one 

 time is a elieck 1o growtii. and ^onuMimcs 

 causes the crown \n\d in tur.i l)liiid.. (iivc 

 the plants a turn (>vei' several times during 

 the winter, as this enables the eultivatoi to 

 admini>ter 1o iheii" waiit.^ in vari<>us Avays, 

 AttK?n1ioii io apiJareiitly li illiiio details makes 

 the dift'crence lietwe<Mi producing tine hlofvms 

 of good quality and having to h.' -alislied 

 with those which lare second rate. 



As regards rust, I have very little faith 

 in any of the so^alled remedies. Liquid 

 applications to the foliage are not advisable 

 during the winter; they only reacli the de- 

 veloped spores, and do not materially check 

 the disease. Much could be done to eradicate 

 rust if growers would propagate from un- 

 afEected stock and maintain tho--o conditions 

 that are detrimental to its spreading. It is 

 an advantage to cut off and burn any leave 

 that are attacked. Red spider ought not to 

 trouble the grower if he pavvs attention to all 

 cultural details. It can lie d(^stroyed, how- 

 ever, by spraying the plants with nicotine 

 soap insecticide, applying^ it with force under 

 the foliage. To prevent green fly. fumigate 

 the house once a fortnight with nicotine 

 compound. It is important to keep thi.s 

 pest in cheek, or it will do considerable 

 damage to the young buds. 



Another important |)oiut in the manage- 

 ment of carnations the way the flowers are 

 cut. Plants often become very leo-cry when 

 the fiowci' stalks are only eiit about half 

 their length; but if the stems are removed 

 close down, young grov/tlis are produced 

 from near the base, which >oon run up to 

 flower, besides retaining the bushy habit of 

 the plants. 



For Bedding:. 



As regards the use of perpetual-flowering 

 carnations for l>edding: «ut, it mav be said 

 that they are likely to increase in popularity 

 for this purpose as their value is more 

 widely realised. They have already demon- 

 strated their sui'k0V>ility for outdoor culture 

 in many gardens, and we have liad very en- 

 couraging results from thcui grown in this 

 way. It is pit^ferable to procure strong 

 plants in that are already set with flower 

 buds, lliese slionld be hardened off before 

 t hey are planted out at the end of May, when 

 they will commence to flower at once, and 

 continue to make a display of blossom 'until 

 frost puts an end to growth in the autumn. 



