The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-08-03
UnSightly Back Lots Have Be-
come Fair Gardens.
PREPARING FOR BIG EXHIBIT
Prizes Will Be Awarded in Fall
for Products.
Many Boys Have Earned Money
by Sale of Vegetables.

peka are now farming on a small scale.
| They are looking forward to the ex-
hibition of home garden produce which
will be held the latter part of Sep
| TENDER under the direction of Super1n-
| tendent c. c. Starr, and c. H. Whiting
| ton, superintendent of the home garden
plan for the youngsters. Prizes valued
at 500 have been offered by Topeka
business men for the best specimens OF
| flowers and vegetables displayed.
| Twenty-Five hundred children in all
! grades started gardens last spring
Since that time probably 500 of them
have become discouraged and nave
| dropped out of the contest. Possibly
others will follow suit in the next few
weeks, but the general result of the
| garden plan has been noticeable In the
city Unsightly back lots have been
| transformed into fair garden spots
For the First Time.
While the little tots in the lower
| grades will not be allowed to com
| pete in the contest, still several hun
| dred of them enrolled in the work. In
one school where 201 pupils enrolled
from the first to the fifth grades, 40
per cent had never previously made
gardens.
considerable spending money this sum
mer through the sale of produce from
their gardens.
Superintendent starr Talks.
Next year we expect to put even
more stress on the school garden work,
said Superintendent c. G. Starr. wen
profit by the experience of this year
School gardening is the best form OF
nature study.
1T is the best type of nature study
for the reason that it deals with the
most practical part of this subject. BY
means of it pupils are taught the pre-
paration and care of the soil; what
seeds to plant and when and how to
plant them; how plants grow and what
care should be taken of them; the
methods of conserving moisture and
combating plant and insect enemies.
1.-The experiences of gardening are
source of material for number work.
Laying out plots and purchasing, plant
ing, and harvesting seeds involve
problems in arithmetic. 1t teaches the
practical matter of keeping accounts i'll
a more effective way than by means of
textbook because the problems are
real and personal TO the pupil.
1.-The drawing of the garden plot TIC
a scale is an excellent exercise
drawing. Home geography. and even
advanced geography, can be connected
with gardening.
1.-The experiences in connection with
gardening constitute the very best
basis for oral and written language
work because the source of the ma
terial is original. 1t gives an added
interest to selections in the readers that
are drawn from nature.
''It develops individuality, initiative
and independence, as does all work that
is educative. 1t improves the general
standards of taste and tends especially
to beautify tie homes and consequent
ly the city. This leads the child to
conception of its civic duties. It af-
fords a better opportunity for valuable
lessons in economy than any other sub
lect connected with the schools. 1t
trains in habits of industry and care
fulness.
1T is a means of reinforcing valuable
ethical conceptions. If the product of
the pupils garden is injured OF stolen
he from that time appreciates more
fully property rights.
1T trains pupils in the city in an
industry that many can engage in
and is the only means that the city
boy and girl have of learning the ac-
tivities of the farm and learning how
to make a living on farm, if neces-
sary.
LAS both general and a voca-
tional or industrial training, school
gardening has a very strong claim for
recognition, and the results obtained,
considering the small amount of time
spent upon it, compare favorably with
other school subjects.
The Prizes Offered.
The list of prizes which will be
awarded to those successful in the
contest has been completed. 1t fol-
lows:
Glass I.
School exhibit. School exhibiting
the best display of flowers and vege-
tables in proportion to the number
of home gardens. Prize, loving cup,
by Commercial club.
Glass III.
To the individual home garden CIV
ing the best financial returns per
square yard, vegetables to be sold or
valued at market price. Pupil to keep
an itemized account of all vegeta bles
sold during the season, giving date of
sale and to whom sold. Account book
to be handed in with exhibit
First prize, SO gold piece, Topeka
Real Estate Dealers association.
Second prize, So gold piece, Topeka
Real Estate Dealers association.
Third prize, $3.50 gold piece, To-
peka Real Estate Dealers associa-
ton.
Glass III.
Best essay, not to exceed 500 words.
giving the writer's experience in home
First prize. SIS gold piece Arthur
Capper.
Second prize, So in merchandise,
Crosby Bros.
Third prize. 81 cash. Commercial
club.
Individual prizes: Student exhibiting
largest and best display of vegetables
each variety named
First PRIZES gold piece, Mills Dry
Goods Co.
Second prize-Cboy) Junior membership
Y NJ. c. A. value $50; second prize
(girl), Junior membership Y. w. c. A
Third prize-$1 cash, Commercial club.
Student exhibiting greatest and best va
riety of flowers:
First prizes gold piece, Commercial
club.
Second prize-s2.5o gold piece. F. D. Co
burn.
Third prize-s cash. Commercial club.
Best display of named vegetable seeds