The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-04
SCHOOLS AND GARDENING.

\ nOIue &ATQculn& OlrcCtcQ ny Sne
school is offered by DR.. p. p. Claxton.
United States commissioner of educa-
ton. as q solution for some Of the
most pressing educational and econ
omic problems In city and suburban
life. DR.. Claxton would have every
vacant town lot transformed into q
garden. where boys and girls would
raise vegetables, berries and fruit for
pleasure and for profit. He would
have one teacher in the community
employed twelve months in the year
to teach elementary science In school
and direct the home-garden work
after school, on Saturdays and during
the summer vacation.
"Of the 100000 children be-
tween the ages Of 8 and 20 In the
cities, towns, manufacturing villages
and suburban communities OF the
United States" says DIR. Claxton. mot
more than Is per cent are away from
home during the summer vacation or
engaged in regular employment
The remaining IS per cent remain at
home without any useful, healthful.
productive occupation requiring any
large part Of their time. On the
other hand. there Ia much valuable
land In back yards and vacant lots
that is serving no useful purpose.
The problem il to bring this land and
these children together.
I'm every school and community
there should be at least one teacher
who knows gardening, both theoreti-
cally and practically. This teacher
should teach the elementary sciences
in the schools during the school
hours and should, out OF school hours.
direct the home gardening Of the
children between the ages, Of or s
and IA or 49, II possible the teacher
should have the assistance OF an ex-
pert gardener, SO that the work may
be done in the most practical and
profitable way. The teacher and the
gardener should help the children
find the plots Of ground in back
yards. front yards, and vacant lots
near their homes best suited for gar
dening work. aid them by some CO.
operative method to have the lots
properly plowed and prepared for
cultivation, help them to select seeds.
show them how to plant. cultivate
and harvest, SO as to obtain the best
results.
vegetables, berries and fruits
grown should be used first as food
for the children and their families;
then the surplus should be marketed
to the best advantage. Through the
help of the teacher this can be done
in a cooperative way. Ten or fifteen
cents worth Of vegetables each day
from the gardens Of each of zoe chill
dren would amount to $50 or $40. In
the summer and fall when the surplus
is large and cannot be marketed to
advantage, the teacher should direct
and help the children in canning and
preserving for winter use or for sale.
The canning and tomato clubs Of the
southern states have already shown
what can be done in this way.
s"It is difficult to estimate the -e-
suits of this plan when it shall be in
full operation throughout the country
For the children it will mean health.
strength, joy in work, habits Of In
dustry, an understanding o. the
value of money, as measured IN
terms of labor. and such knowledge
of the phenomena and forces OF ma
ture as must be had FOR an under
standing Of most Of their school les
sons. They will also learn something
at least Of the fundamental principle
of morality; that each individual
must make his OF her own living;
must, by some kind of labor OF head,
hand or heart. contribute to the COM
mon wealth as much as he takes
from it: must pay for what he gets
in some kind of coin.
This plan in full operation would
probably do more toward keeping
young children out of the factories
and mills than all Of he child-labor
laws on the statute books. A boy 10
or IL years of age, with quarter OF
an acre Of land. working under care
full direction, can produce more for
the support of the family than could
be purchased with the child's wages
from the mill Children should not
be ground in the mills nor sweated in
the factories: their strength should
not be Slapped and their nerves racked
by working in the heat and dust OF
indoors, yet all children should learn
to work; it is good for them and they
10Y in it. To work with it's feet IN the
soil, its head in the sunshine, and its
lungs filled with good fresh air is not
a bad thing for any healthy child.
This plan will also do much to
solve the problem OF the idle negro
A large part Of the negroes Of the
southern states live on the outskirts
of cities and small towns. Their cab
in homes are frequently on large lots
and surrounded with vacant lots COW
cred with weeds and rubbish. Dur
ing the vacation months the negro
children roam idly on the streets. fall
ing into mischief and vice. Under
proper direction they might make, on
these back yards and vacant lots,
enough to support themselves and