The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-08-24
AN EDEN FOR CHILDREN
NEW USE FOR CONGRESSIONAL
ALLOTMENT OF SEEDS.
Flowers for Every school-Prof. Gal
loway's Plan to Teach Every
School Child in America How
to Grow Plants.
Washington Post.

Washington Post.
No longer will the Congressional allot-
ment of flower. vegetable and forage
seeds from the Agricultural Department
be q subject Of universal jest. An in
telligent system has been introduced IN
that department and one of the results
bids fair to prove of inestimable value
to the young generation: No more cot
ton seed will be sent to Maine and celery
will not be shipped to Georgia. But the
new branch of work in the Department
which is creating such widespread inter-
est and approval among the superintend-
ents of public schools throughout the
country is thoroughly new and original
theory on the nature study work for the
children of the public schools. This new
method of instruction was introduced W
Prof. Ben T. Galloway, chief of the Blu
reau of Plant Industry.
Professor Galloway's plan at first
glimpse seems an almost impossible one,
and yet he Is confident that it can be car
merely in theory. He has experimental
during the last year at the Takoma public
school Even in its inoipient stage this
work has achieved such pleasing results
that this new study is to be universally
adopted Professor Galloway plans to
have placed in the hands of every school
child in the United states five packages
OF flower or vegetable seed, and to have
the teachers in charge see that each
child is taught the proper method of
planting and caring for these plants.
Zone of the first things a child learns
in the study of nature said Professor
Galloway to a Post reporter, rs that law
reigns everywhere. All things governing
plant life are ruled by law. Learning this
gradually, and to large extent subject
lively, the child will begin to see uncon-
sciously that it's own welfare is governed
by natural laws and that If 1T obeys or
disobeys these laws its life will be made
or marred accordingly. The child should
be thus taught that law. after all. is moth
fvrr fIan tft1f nd n strict q n
herence to truth in all things is easier
than contrary path.
There is much talk and discussion re-
garding nature studies In the public
flied character that can be used s a
precedent in preparing plan of action.
I believe that nature study should never
be allowed to reach the fad stage, but
should be conducted wholly with a view
to enlarging the thinking powers of the
child AS a general rule the idea of ma
ture study is connected with something
that has for it's object teaching child
how to grow a few plants and training
them from the purely aesthetic side My
idea is that nature studies should be made
to train the child's mind IN the matter OF
making it familiar with the fundamental
truths of nature in the hope that gradual
familiarity with such truths will develop
the better instincts of the nature as well
as instill from the very beginning an in
telgent grasp of botany.
During the last year 1 have expert
mented quite advantageously at the Ia
koma School There / instituted winter
boxes in which were planted flowers and
herbs which would thrive under the con-
ditions incident to growing in the hot
room of a school house. Then 1 also sup
piled the children with packages Of seed
which they planted at home. Their re-
ports show that quite good deal OF
knowledge of plant life was acquired in
a way so pleasant that 1t became almost
a pastime for the children. This fall they
will have a children's flower show, and
each child will take to the exhibit some
of the flowers from his little garden or
box.
THE fact that American children have
such long vacation. when It would not
be practicable to have the gardens tended
properly, leads me to believe that a gar
den for each school in the sense of plot
work such as is carried on in Europe,
should not be considered. On the other
hand, much good will eventually result
If the children are gradually led to q
desire for identifying the grounds in some
simple way mainly by the introduction
of native plants which the children them
selves can procure They can in the