Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-04-05
The School Garden
BY PROF. soLoN W. CUNNINGHAM
The writer realizes that the advo- school gal

The writer realizes that the advo-
cation Of a School Garden for the
rural and the grade school is going to
bring up any number of pleas that
the school term is too short, the
school yard does not offer enough
space for such work, the Idaho grow
Ing season opens up too late in the
spring to afford time for results
even though the average rural school
term be heightened a month or six
weeks.
You have In the above, points
around which you can build pre-
sentable argument, but If you are a
teacher, a member of school board,
or have children In school your work
Is that of overcoming rather than of
upholding the difficulties the above
pleas present. The thoroughly alive
teacher finds them but an inspira-
ton for little more hustle. The
board member who has the best in
terests of the community in mind Is
too thoroughly occupied with plans for
bettering the school and school con-
ditions to heed any nonrprogressive ar.
qumantc whatavor
A few years ago some of the lead
ing educators suggested such equip
ment as gardens for the rural and
the grade schools. The cry of the
multitude, ut can't be done" was
accepted by those who raised the
cry as fact. Now this same multi
tude is thinking that possibly it is
practical to teach elementary agri-
culture through gardens in the rural
and the grade schools. In a few
more years he who says that ele-
Imentary agriculture cannot be sue
cessfully and efficiently taught thru
the gardens OF rural and OF grade
schools will most surely be related
to the corps of antidated knockers.
This short article was written in
hope that 1t would aid in making the
teaching of practical agriculture thru
the school garden a permanent part
of the curriculum Of the rural and
OF the grade schools of Idaho.
Each school will have it's own spe-
cial problems to meet in making the
school garden and these problems
will have to be solved by the local
board and the teacher. However,
there are few principles that arel
fundamental, which are set forth be-
low. that will aid the teacher ma
teriafly in planning for, laying out,
equipping and planting the garden.
There are two phases Of education
to be kept in mind when teaching
through the medium Of the school
garden. One is the~agricultural and
this should include not only the fun
damental principles of agriculture
but the systematic care of tools, sys-
planning and arrangement of !,
work, the value of productive labor
and the true dignity and indepen-
dence OF farm life. The second is
the esthetic, the love for the beau
tiful. pride in making the school
yard attractive, In improving and
identifying the home and it's sur-
roundings, the broadening of the
child mind, the understanding of
ownership and responsibility.
Do not hesitate If the grounds be
small. to use that space that may be
Isolated along a fence or in the cor
ners and recesses of the building. A
little work can be done here and this
will lead to bigger things. 1t may be
possible for a grade school to secure
/ near by city lot, and for the rural
'chool with limited grounds to get a
plot from the neighbor whose land
oins the school yard.
The following general principles
will be applicable to the average