The times., 1901-04-21
PUBLIC SCHOOL ROOF GARDENS.
4 New Idea for Instructipg Children
in FlorfeuIsure


fFrom the New York Evening Post
There have been several propositions
made looking toward the application of
this idea OF public school roof gardening
IN New York Naturally, the roof has at
tracted the attention of those who would
provide the teachers ana students with
gardens. The difficulty in such a garden
would be the high winds and storms
which would menace the safety OF the
plants. but this danger could be guarded
against somewhat by arranging wind
breaks in the shape of high walls around
the borders. An expert school architect
whose plans have recently been accepted
FOR two new school buildings. has this to
say about the possibility of school gardens
on roofs:
1T is altogether a new idea. and one
that we have not considered in the past
In our plans. The spring term of school
Is naturally short, and many plants would
hardly get thoroughly started before the
summer vacation would cut short all such
studies, Consequently. / should think a
practical school garden on roof should
Include forcing frames. where seeds could
be planted in midwinter. Such frames
under glass could be arranged around the
sides of the roof, and protected from the
winds by the high walls of the buildings.
In this way plants could be raised on the
roof from early March until the summer
vacation.
These forcing frames should be sup
plemented by rows of boxes filled with
dirt where new seeds could be sown or
TO which the grOwths in the forcing
frames could be transplanted. Not only
annuals, but perenniaIs could be grown
The latter could be taken into the school
house in winter
In a number of the schools there are
potted plants which annually brighten
the SchoolrOOms with their blossoms
Most of these have been presented to the
teachers by the children at Easter or
Christmas. and instead of permitting
them to die after the blooming period,
they have cultivated them year after
year. One teacher said lately:
Most children love to cultivate flower
ing plants, and these few l have create
no end of interest among the scholars.
we have also made arrangements to raise
plants from seeds. a carpenter has pro-
vided us with boxes TO fit the window
s1lls on the sunny side of the room. and
already some of the boxes are planted
with flower and vine seeds / did not
purchase the seeds. | left il to the chill
dren to bring them.
The seeds are planted at different times
and as each variety is planted we make a
special study of that plant, reading up all
We can find about ii in practical books
and in historical and poeticaI literature
Ihen as the seeds come up we pull sever
al Of the plants up by the roots to examine
more closely into the terminating process
of the seeds. This we continue during the
whole period of the growth of the plants
Then, when the flowers come, We are ali
we knew the plants from their infancy.
BY taking different plants each year our
children get pretty practical knowledge
of plant growth.
Another method of supplementing the
school gardens in a city is to make use
of the parks and outlying country districts
for studying plant growth. On the PaIi-
sades plant growth is provided in riOtOus
luXuriance for all who can take advantage
of it, and children under competent in
structors find food for thought and study
there that greatly broaden and stimulate
their ideas of life.
I'VE collect specimens of everything we
can find, explained a teacher in pri-
vate school. who has made speciality
of these excursions. Some of the chill
dren are interested in bugs and insects.
and they go armed with their nets and
bags. Others only care for flowers and
plants. and they bOtanize 70 their hearts
content. Most of the boys think more
of animals, and they hunt the rocks and
woods for anything alive from lizard
to a rabbit. Everything caught must be
brought up for study. and no one claims
absolute ownership. When through with
the animal it is released again. Some
times we keep it a week or two in our
school museum. and then we take it back
to its home and free it