The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1913-07-10

speaking, this is our condition here.
So you can see there was twofold
reason for wanting the garden: for
the pupils and for the parents; for
the school and for the homes. We
knew if once it was established and
successful that the community would
be greatly benefited.
Last October, through the kindness
of one of our patrons, we succeeded
in getting one-half acre of new
ground to the rear of the campus.
We were one and all very much de-
lighted. The botany class had IA
members, seven boys and seven girls.
These were all bright and willing pu-
pills, and this contributed a great
deal toward our ultimate success.
The land was cleared by the class
with very little help. The boys took
up stumps and did like heavy work,
while the girls raked off the trash
and assisted in the lighter work. By
the end of November we had our
garden in shape for the plans.
| felt that there must be individ-
ual ownership on the part of the pu-
pills in order to gain their best sup
port and interest; still, there was
need for a general garden in order
that the ideal home garden might be
realized, and, again, this garden in
general served us in teaching the
principles that were applied to the
individual gardens by the individu-
ais. The children assisted me in lay
ing off their gardens, thereby learn
ing lesson in measurements.
These gardens were 10x24 feet, bor-
dered by walks 1S inches wide. Each
pupil made neat uniform pegs, plac-
ing them in the right angles of their
garden. The number of the garden
was put on these pegs.
In the individual gardens we
planted cabbage, garden peas, sweet
peas, onion sets and onion seed; later,
we planted beans, radishes and let
tuce. The middle of April we cut
our first cabbage. the heads alone
weighing five and fve-hundredths
pounds. Our cabbages are the best
that we have heard of this year.
The peas were fine also. In fact, the
little gardens were beautiful, one
could not help being impressed with
the neatness as we'll as the beautiful
vegetables. 1t was a genuine JOY
for one to watch the wild enthusi-
asm the children displayed when
their gardens were attracting 80
much attention. There were never
such vegetables! The radishes were
the sweetest they had ever eaten.
All this is so natural, because they
had done all the work, had planted
the seeds and had watched with
great tenderness for the germinaI
ton, for advanced growth and for
maturity. Don't children like to
know they can and are doing some
thing that counts big? Grown-up
children do, too. So much for the
individual gardens.
This being the first year of the
garden work l have done very little
toward my ideal home garden. We
planted five hundred choice straw
berry plants. six bunch grapevines
and five apple trees, all of which are
doing nicely. For this year we will
use one-tenth of an acre for toma-
toes to demonstrate the tomato club
work. This will train them in the
preparation OF soil, planting and cul-
ture of tomatoes. The tomatoes will
be used to make canning demonstra-
tions at the school for pupils and
patrons. The rest of the garden will
be planted in corn for the same
training in corn as to the soil, plant
ing and culture, also. for seed selec-
ton and seed testing. Later, the
small gardens and the part planted
in corn will be sown broadcast in
cowpeas to enrich the soil for fall
planting. Next fall the general gar
den will be continued on the plans
! of the ideal home garden.
The notebooks have played an i'm
portant part In our work. A diagram
of the gardens was made by a scale.
Each trip to the garden was written
up stating work done, how done and
name Of tools used. A record OF the
plants was kept in the following
manner: Number of row, kind of
seed or plants, date Of planting. ger
mination, blooming or fruitage, rea.
dy for use, part of plant used, class
of plants, value.
This work was made possible by
the interest of the pupils and the