Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1906-08-16


During the winter by simple expert
ments that may be performed in any
schoolroom the students learn of the
kinds of soil, the water holding power
Of soils and means of altering such
power, conservation of water and plant
physiology.
AS spring approaches experiments In
termination seed testing and seed
planting follow, as well as planning
home gardens, gardens around school
buildings and vacation gardens. At
this season of the year, too, the work
broadenS. 1t leaves the confines of
the normal schools and takes In all of
the public schools In the city. Arrange
ments are made with one Of the local
seedsmen to sell penny packages of
seed to the children for home planting.
Many of the older teachers are not
trained, so to aid them the board of
education, through one of the normal
schools, issues sheets of simple in
structions to aid the children to cor
rectly plan, plant and care for the
home garden. They are encouraged to
care for the garden during the summer
and to bring something they have rails
ed wholly by themselves to the flower
show in the fall. 1t may be growing
plant, bunch of flowers or bottle of
seed
Flower day is an established feature
of Washington schools. On the 29th
Of last September every school in the
District of Columbia invited the public
to it's exhibit. All buildings were open
until dark, and whepe the buildings
were lighted they were open through
out the evening. The throngs of peo
pie who visited the schools gave suf-
ficient proof of the appreciation of the
public for the movement
Civic improvement is thus encoura ged
and also by school ground improve
ment. Three years ago there was but
one garden connected with schools in
the District. Last year 100 of the 124
graded schools made an effort to i'm.
prove their surroundings The teach
ers are urged to relate whatever is
done outdoors to the subjects taught
In the schoOlroomS Skillful teachers
relate geography, arithmetic. spelling,
design to the garden.
The latest encouragement given by
the department has been the offer to
the board of education of more than
an acre of lawn to be used for chill
dren's gardens. The board has accept
ed the offer and will put the first six
grades of school in the vicinity to
work upon 1t. Each school will spend
an afternoon week in the garden un-
der the regular grade teacher, who will
be Instructed from the normal school
She will be expected to relate the work
closely TO the regular schoorjom work
The time spent in the garden will be
part of school time and not after
hours, as has been so frequently done
before. thus making an added burden
on the teacher. Each child will have
plot entirely his own. varying in siza
according te his ability. Beside these
individual plots there will be plots ten
feet square Of grains, forage crops and
important local products for observa
ton purposes.
The garden will be und T. the imme-
diate care of the normal ,chool during
vacation and will be considered as a
vacation school for the southwest sec
ton of the city. thus fortunately allow
Ing the board of education to grant a
petition from the parents of that sec
tiOn requesting such an opportunity
for their children during the summer.
SUSAN Il. LIPE
Washington, d. c.
The Berlin On. W grange recently |