THE EDUCATIOiNf OF THE COTTAGE AND MARKET GARDENEE. 119 



in a separate plot for each boy, or for two boys, a senior and a junior, 

 because there is then the responsibility, the keen competition, the 

 gratification of success, the lasting evidence of neglect, carelessness, or 

 mistakes. The one argument in favour of a common plot, that a greater 

 variety of vegetables can be grown, I care nothing for. If we have 

 secured the boy's interest in gardening, and his intelligence to bear 

 upon it, when he leaves school at twelve or thirteen he will not be too old 

 to learn to grow vegetables other than he has been taught in school. It 

 is, of course, strongly to be recommended that a separate fruit plot should 

 be included in the garden. I also urge that every boy should have a 

 part of his plot to grow what he likes upon, or perhaps a flower border 

 upon which he can exercise his own individuality. 



The Teachers. 



There can be no doubt that for work such as I have outlined the 

 elementary school teacher is by far the best teacher of gardening in the 

 elementary school. Several of the counties have recognised this and 

 have established Saturday classes and summer courses of horticulture for 

 their teachers, and the Royal Horticultural Society has done a most useful 

 work in establishing a teachers' examination in horticulture, the certificate 

 being recognised in Oxfordshire, Essex, and, I think, some other counties 

 as qualifying the candidate as a teacher of school gardening. Of course 

 examination is not a perfect test of a teacher's qualifications, because his 

 fitness to undertake the work outlined more depends upon his attitude of 

 mind to nature, his willingness to let his pupils learn as far as possible for 

 themselves, and to assume the position of a student with his students, 

 than upon knowledge upon which he can pass an examination. That is 

 a matter of training, not examination. We have to try to induce the 

 county instructors to base their teaching of the teachers on underlying 

 principles, and, what is even more important, in the training of the 

 teachers in pupil-teacher centres and training colleges to give that sort of 

 training which will prepare them afterwards to take up horticulture in 

 the right spirit. The Society will be glad to learn that the Board of 

 Education have introduced into the training college regulations a course 

 of rural science (including practical gardening) which is intended as a 

 direct preparation for this work in rural schools. 



Evening Schools. 



We have now to consider the further education of the small cultivator 

 after his elementary school days are over. I have no hesitation in saying 

 that, in spite of the growth of gardening in the day school, there is still 

 room for gardening in the evening school. The plots should be larger, 

 the vegetables grown more extensive in variety ; a greater share of 

 attention should be paid to fruit, and the instruction should be more 

 technical in its character and given by gardeners (whether professional or 

 scholastic) of proved repute. That some form of continuation school is 

 necessary for boys whose regular schooling ends at twelve or thirteen is 

 obvious, and gardening has the advantage that round it hang so many 

 subjects that are important that the lads should study during the winter 



