Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-13
IN WINDOWS
WINTER INSPIRATION TO Chill
DREN OF THE SCHOOLS.
Quaint Stories of Their Efforts - Re
suits of Experiments in
New York.
Prom the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
The tentative decision of the Agricultural
Department to distribute seeds and bulbs
among the public school children of the
cities has been hailed with enthusiasm by
pupils and teachers alike throughout this
city. Window gardening in the schools has
been extensively carried on for some time,
and with such good results that in many
cases the board Of education has come to
the assistance of the work with the small
funds necessary, and occasionally, upon APP
plication, the state agricultural bureau has
contributed supplies.
The teachers, of course have taken the
Initiative in every instance, but enthusiastic
assistance has at once been given by every
child, and the classroom window boxes
are sources of winter long inspiration and
delight. The keeping of even the hardest
plants, however. during the coolest weather
Is more or less precariouS undertaking, as
the fires are allowed to go out at the end
of the week and Monday morning some
times finds only the frostbitten remains of
a lately fiourishing flower, and this despite
the fact that they always carefully set
away from the windows into the middle of
the room when school closes on Friday, and
often the care of the janitor is enlisted be-
sides
Sometimes, too, the Trailer plants have
been intrusted to the care of pupils over
the week end holiday, but this has proved
Of doubtful value a method of securing
higher or more even temperature, and, on
the whole, it has been found more prac-
ticable to keep only the hardest sorts
ferns, rubber plants and evergreen shrubs.
Glasses Vie With One Another.
This Is for the winter months. AS soon
as the spring begins to break, however,
Towering plants and seeds are procured,
and then it is that the keenest interest is
fp tir1aa ind I,
planted with several different kinds of seeds
and a diagram drawn of the garden plot"
on the blackboard. Then as the tiny green
heads of the various sorts show themselves
above the earth their growth is indicated
IN the diagram day by day. In this way
the names and characteristics of many va
rieties of plants are learned and a love of
nature Is gradually inculcated. Glasses will
vie with one another for the finest boxes,
each class taking a window. Often the
teachers offer prizes, to be awarded on Ar
Dor or Memorial day.
Where window boxes are most keenIy an
preciated is, as might be expected In the
schools of the lower and more populous dis
trfcts When in one of these the primary
pupils were asked to bring seeds or plants
or anything that would grow for the spring
w1ndox boxes. one small boy triumphantly
produced a pocketful of cold baked beans
he had surreptitiously saved from his noon
day meal, another a withered apple, a lit
tie girl trotted up with a gorgeous paper
rose and another asked if a ROSTERS head
would grow!
The call for supplies was only to test the
average understanding on the subject
Teachers make a point never to rob the
nome for the benefit of the class room, but
on the contrary, all the school flowers
Eventually find their way to the homes for
the summer holidays. There is rarely
enough left of them, so assiduously have
they been watered and tended to make it
worth while to bring them back to school
again.
Plants in the Home
The majority of the plants so often seen
from the elevated roads. for instance-on
roofs, window stills and fire escapes are the
result of public school planting as at the
close of the spring term an effort is made
to provide each pupil with at least one
glad green growing thing" however small
In many schools seeds are distributed. and
the pupils asked to contribute the earth
and vessels to hold them. Unique. indeed,
are some of the expetiients resorted to I'M
der these circumstances. When empty
tomato and corn cans are not available
broken sugar bowls, saucepans dippers
etc, are presented and once a cracked pink
siass powder box was proudly displayed,
Xoniy to be seized upon by an older sister
In the next class, who declared it was hers
and all she had to drink her coffee FRONT
When these motley specimens are returned
with their crown of green and blossoms. on
Arbor day. to receive the prizes and deco
rate the rooms during the days exercises
they are draped, upon their arrival. with
gay papers and ribbons. The prizes are
Solely for the size and vigOr of the plant
Among the deniZenS Of some of the lower
past side schools there is a certain religious
holiday occurring shortly before Arbor day,
which requires preparation of rigorous
house cleaning. The pots and pans of earth
pm sill and fire escape are sometimes thrown
put with the winters debris to make room
Tor this coming celebration, and the conse-
quent lamentatlon in juvenile quarters is
great. One enterprising competitor for
prizes took his plants to a nearby stable
And offered his last two pennies to the pro-
prietor as rental for the week which would
include house cleaning and festival.