The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-28
SCHOOL GARDENS.

DR.. Eva Hardfng's suggestion that
the children in the public schools be
taught gardening is an admirable one
And her endeaYors to stimulate inter-
est among the children in the Oakland
school alorg this line will be watched
by those who are interested in the de-
velopment of the growing generations in
the best possible ways. There is no
good reason why the public schools
should not teach children gardening
and other things that will be 'of consid-
erably more advantage to them than
many of the studies which now have
place On the school curriculums. This
idea of having a garden connected with
the school is not a new one. In fact 1t
is very old one, as is pointed out in
an excellent treatise on school garden
ing which is used as an introduction 10
a book on How to Make School Gar
dens" by H. D. Hemenway, B. S., d.
rector of the Hartford school of horti-
culture. Among other things Professor
Hemenway says:
Gardening was practised in some
European schools many years ago, and
was carried on often for the purpose of
increasing the salary of the teacher or
for furnishing products for him. In
other schools there were botanical gar
dens where the specimens could be
studied by the pupils. The school gar
den movement as it exists today is OF
more recent origin, beginning about
t1irty-five years ago. The progress has
been most rapid in Europe, where there
are today more than one hundred thou
sand school gardens; France alone has
10 nj
in Russia, as in several other countries,
no school will be accepted by the state
to receive state funds unless garden
is connected with it. In America, the
school garden movement is of recent
origin, but it is gaining ground rapidly.
"As sixty-five per cent of our exports
are products of the farm, it is almost
alarming to think that so few of our
children know anything about them.
One reason why nearly ninety per cent
of the successful business men of today
were brought UP on the farm is because
of the productive industry taught in
early childhood in farm life. There is
no kind of training that squares itself
for all-around development like agri-
culture. The farmers boys are brought
up to use their hnads as well as their
heads, and learn quick observation and
quick decision, which is of great value
to them throughout their lives. The
child's garden certainly brings his life
more nearly to that of the country
child than any other form Of study. As
an aid to nature-study there is nothing
equal to it. 1t can be used to help in
nearly every other branch of study
taught in the schoolroom. The prac-
tice in measuring and marking out the
gardens, and in Systematically planting
the seed. gives the child the practical
mathematics which he so much needs.
Much language work can be given in
connection with it; in fact, 1t can be
correlated with nearly all the other
branches, as it furnishes material for
writing, painting, drawing and geog-
raphy. Even business can be taught, as
is done at the school gardens at the
State Normal school at Hyannis, Mass,
where the products of the garden are
sold, the money is taken to the bank
| and deposited, and the children learn
| the method of depositing money and
dTawinr- checks