Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-01
have been founded in Ohio, Iowa, Tex


as, etc"
The slides that were shown gave an
Idea of the work that is being carried
Oil in various districts. The first pic
ture was that of Ezekiel Holmes, for
merly of the Gardiner Lyceum In Car
diner. Agriculture was first taught IN
this country by Ezekiel Holmes in Car
diner, in 1923. The picture of the Gar
diner Lyceum was also shown wnere
the instruction was first given.
zone of the popular forms for teach
| ing agriculture is by means ofNa schooi
garden. An ordinary garden lot is tax
en- and divided into lots about eight
| feet square, or by 10. A plot OF land
50x75 feet could be divided into thirty
| six plots, thus furnishing small gar
| den for thirty-siX children where plants
could be set out This has been prac-
ticed III rural schools where there IS
| only q small amount of land.
Several slides were shown, explaining
| the work that is done along this line Of
school gardening. The children arc
taken out into the gardens and taught
about weeds, how things grow, ETC.,
| They use their arithmetic IN measuring
for the gardens, and their language in
writing about it.
| cat Hartford, Conn.,, the Hartford
School of Horticulture has a plot of
land outside of the city, and every au-
tumn they have a public exhibition
showing the results Of the work done
in the school gardens
"NeW York City was one of the first
cities to take this work up. Mrs. F. G.
Parsons wanted to do some thing for
the children of the slums, and SO She
| took the Stun district, and the children
| By their own labor, cleaned up the rub
| Dish and made it into school garden,
which was one of the first IN New York
City. One of the first things done was
| 20 put up u cottage and there to take
these almost homeless girls and each
them the elements Of housekeeping, etc.
| Many of these street waits had never
| seen the country or farm, and so the
work along this line was most valuable,
as they know nothing about it.
philadelphia has been one of the
| leading cities in this work. The second
| year the garden was tried in Philadel-
phia, they appropriated, thirty thousand
| dollars for carrying out this work.
| This gardening movement has been
used as a means of taking care of the
unemployed in Philadelphia 1t IS on
the same plan as the Pringle Potato
growing project during the hard times,
adopted in order that the unemployed
might have something to do.
Calvert, Maryland, took UP the mat
| ter Of Introducing agriculture in the
rural schools. They utilized the ami
mails AMI plants that could be obtained
rom the neighborhood and after it had
been going two years the School Board
appropriated $4,000 for school building.
The matter Of teaching agriculture does
rot always mean great expenditure
Of money.
professor Kern of Winnebago Coun-
ty, H., has done a great work along
this line. Three schools houses have
been consolidated into one building.
The people find that this school does
not cost more, and that it is a great
deal better than a number of small
ones. The great movement of 1ntrodu-
cling agriculture in the schools goes
farther than actual work in the schoo!
The children take what they learn
home with them, and at very small ex-
ijcnse, clear up their own yards.
"The National Cash Register Co, of
Transforming Dayton from q place
where the foreman would not live. I'M
I'll now the streets are planted along
the walks to the factories and the fore
men nov live there.
"In the rural parts of Maine, the
homes are well kept but the schoolhous-
es have nothing attractive about them
These have bccn improved a great Geal
by the introduction of agriculture. This
movement is intended to better country
life. We have all heard of the aban-
doneG farms in New England. We
Gtn's want tilis, but we want cont
lnunity which will give us good look
ing farms. This work interests the
country children and village children
IL their surroundings anG olakes their
homes more attractive. Any move
ment which leads in this direction ought
TO receive the support of the principals
and teachers of the schools and anyone
" no is interested in the masses of our
YOUTH