THE 
COLOMBO. 
Added as a Supplement Monthly to the " TBOPICAL AGRICULTUPJST." 
The following pages] include the Contents 
November : — 
of the Agricultural Magazine for 
Vol. XIV.] 
NOVEMBER, 1902. 
[No. 5. 
SCHOOL GARDENS. 
VERT new movemeut experiences 
a period during which it is the 
subject of suspicion, and even of 
contempt. "Qui bono"? is the 
question that is uppermost in the 
miud of those who are not directly- 
interested in it, and to give them a satisfactory 
reply is well-nigh impossible. 
One of the greatest drawbacks ia the connection 
-with the establishing of School Gardens is the 
•want of sympathy that is exhibited by those 
whose co-operation is as much to be desired as it 
■was counted upon. But in place of sympathy and 
help there is'of ten a supercilious curiosity, indicated 
by such a question as "What are you doing"? 
as though the answer could be given in a word ! 
Now for the benefit of those who honestly 
-would be informed, we shall endeavour to clearly 
state the case for the School Gardea scheme, 
enumerating its objects under different heads. 
(1). We will take what some may smilingly term 
the aesthetic side of School gardening. We will 
accept the description, and add that one of the 
objects of the scheme is [certainly to make the 
surroundings of school children congenial and 
pleasant to them. The bare hard walls and 
dreary surroundings of a school are far from 
inciting to a child. There is nothing to attract, 
nothing to brighten up the place, nothing to 
relieve the eye of the little scholar— in fact 
nothing suggestive to look upon, but everything 
impenetrable and irresponsive, and acting as a 
counterfoil to the lively intelligence and curiosity 
' of the child-mind. Now, is it fair to the child that 
such should be the ease, that, so far from provid- 
ing " natural" food for the hungry mind to feed 
upon, we should endeavour to dull the edge of 
curiosity, which, so to speak, is the spur that 
impels him to the acquisition of knowledge ? Oa 
the other hand it is our duty to provide all that is 
cheering and suggestive and calculated to preserve 
and cultivate the natural bouyancy of heart. 
In many cases we find childrea drawn 
(oftener driven) from their bright and healthy 
surroundings to be immured within the dismal 
-walls of a school-room, their elastic minds com- 
pressed and forced to dwell for hours together oa 
ihe dull routine of class work and their own 
educational sevitude. It is here that the new 
scheme comes in, to lighten the burden of the 
scholar by keeping him from dwelling on 
the drudgery and making him think only of the 
pleasure of work. For it cannot be denied that 
it is environment and association that to a 
great extent control mental exercise and establish 
mental conditions ; and it should be the object of 
all those who have the oversight of children to 
furnish their receptive minds with such 
associations of ideas as will in after life make 
them cheerful and hopeful individuals, ready to 
look on the bright side of the picture, and not 
drepressed and depressing, always taking a 
gloomy view of life. 
Those who have seen school childrea in a gardea 
will understand the degree of pleasure they 
derive from it. When the town child find him- 
self among foliage and flowers he is not less 
delishted than a caged bird that has been released. 
Beauty, colour, variety, sweet odours, all these 
attributes are elements of pleasure to him, while 
arrangement, form, symmetry, order, neatness, 
all these qualities are bound to react on the mind, 
and, bearing fruit, establish such ideals and reso- 
lutions as we all hope for in our childrea. 
{To be continued.) 
