Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-14

being laid. Physical exercise in the open
air develops the one, while the endless
variety Of occupation and the subjects OF
interest connected with gardening wisely
handled as means of educating will sell
dom fall in producing the other. 1t is an
absolute fact that the average boy leaves
reform school better educated than 9TH
mental idea is now being carried out in
connection with British prisons Under
regulations which came into force this
year prisoners having good conduct
marks are provided with plot of ground
ers. The produce is bought by the prison
authorities for use in the prison at the
current market rate, the. amount being
credited to the prisoner and paid to him
at the expiration of his term.
Thus the value of gardening Is recognize.
ed as means for the uplift Of the more
vicious of the community. May it not
also be used as means of counteractine
inherent vicious tendencies due to the
hereditary influence of prenatal educa-
ton? The idea appears to have been
long recognized In France. for in that
country upward of $1,000 primary schools
have gardens attached to them and, as
gardening is part of their system OF
have to pass an examination in the prin-
ciples of agriculture and horticulture
Most of the advanced educationalists.
however. admit the value Of physical
mental capacity. and hence are encourag-
ing and supporting the present movement
for providing children's gardens. The
existence of the latter is not, however,
due to educational authorities in their
official capacity SO much as to private
munifcence. and SO far as is apparent al
present it is from this latter source that
any further extension must come, al
though the work Is beginning to gain
some recognition from school managers.
Although much work In this direction
has been and is being done all over the
country. what has been accomplished is
small when compared with its possibili-
ties Space will not permit much in the
way of statistics, but it will suffice to
indicate a few facts.
At Cleveland, Ohio the Home Garden
ing Association was organized as far
back as the year 1890. from which date
it has slowly. but surely continued to
gain year by year increased public sup
port in it's work of establishing and car
training garden. the cultivation Of vacant
lots a class for teaching how to cook
and preserve vegetables and In various
other connected ways Is solving some OF
the work is appreciated and It's value
recognized by parents the following few
extracts from many letters clearly prove:
These gardens have really done Johh
and Mary more good this year than any
two years Of schooling they ever had be-
fore, and it has done us about as much
good as it did the children Another
father wrote: II am strongly in favor OF
parks. but If people generally realized the
value of these gardens &c us and to our
children we would provide as much land
for gardens as for parks" A mother
remarked: Il can't understand why 1t Is
that the children are SO fascinated by
the gardens We have had an encyclo-
pedia in our house fer years and the
this summer. Now II Is referred to al
most daily to gee what 1t says about
various plants" Another said: Il have
been thinking what wonderfully Dene-
fetal effect it viii have on the next gen.
Grafton II gardening Is made a permanent
feature in our public school course" A
joint letter from father and mother
fact that our daughter has had the OPP
portunity to devote a. portion Of her time
In working IN the school garden. We
found ii to be Of great benefit to her
both mentally ant physically. We hope
the WORK viii! continue and become estab-
lIshed in every city"
These spontaneous opinions, based upon
actual effects. are of themselves very
strong evidence OF the value Of this move
ment.
In Washin gton Miss Susan B. Sipe has
been carrying on this work for the past
nine years. and in spite of having very
meager funds splendid results have been
obtained. At one period several acres
were being used for children's gardens.
but had to be given up for building
operations. Excellent gardens are being