New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-06-03
CITY Children
need GARDENS
School Supervision Of Young
Farmers Work Necessary

The School-garden idea is not
fad" declares DR.. c. D. Jarvis, of the
u. s. bureau Of education. 1T is an
outward expression of an Unborn be-
lief on the part Of hundreds of teach
ers and educators throughout this
and other lands that children need
some kind Of active experience to Wit
alize their school studies. 1t is also
an expression on the part of thou
sands Of parents of the belief that in
order to acquire habits of industry
and to appreciate the dignity of labor,
boys and girls at an early age should
be encouraged to engage in some
kind Of wholesome employment. Fur
thermore, the various welfare asso-
Citations, the International Child-Wel-
fare league in particular, are en-
bracing the garden movement with
the belief that through it thousands
of boys and girls may be saved from
the evils attending confinement in the
shops, the mills, and the mines.
Reason for Former Failures.
I'm general, a varying degree of
success has followed the efforts of
individual teachers and of the var
ious organizations Too often, how
ever, extensive garden projects have
been undertaken without carefully
prearranged program, without any
provision for instruction and super
vision, and without sufficient funds to
properly administer the enterprise.
On account of these and other causes
there have been some failures. These
| failures, however, have served to
make us more cautious and have
helped us to formulate plans for the
| future development of the work.
Although the school officials gem
! orally appreciate the Importance Of
| gardening, they have been slow to
take it up as part of the school pro
gram They would like to see the
work standardized and a definite pro-
gram substituted for the chaotic mass
Of recommendations. The lack of
well-organized examples of garden
activities has probably been the re-
/ tarding factor
Survey BY Bureau of Education
| To satisfy the demand for some
/ definite information, DR.. Jarvis points
/ out the U. S. bureau Of education re-
i Gently conducted a survery Of the
! school-gartlen work throughout the
| country. AS result of hits survey a
/ plan for the introduction and promo
ton of garden work in the schools has
| been made available to school Of
ficials.
1.-THE plan is a simple one. 1t is an
economical one. 1t does not in any
way interfere with the present school
program. 1t provides for intelligent
instruction and thorough supervision.
It provides for the utilization of I'M
used land and labor for productive
purposes. The children working UNI
der this plan may contribute to the
support Of the family, teaching them
the fundamental principles of democ-
racy and enabling them to remain
longer in school. Under this plan also
the children are given an opportunity
for acquiring a knowledge of an oc-
cupation that may become the means
of a livelihood. The plan further
provides for a wholesome occupa-
ton for boys and girls while out Of
: school and thus stimulates industry
at the receptive age and guards
against the evils attending idleness.
An additional result of the plan in
operation is an improvement of home
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES yards are cleaned
up and the home grounds ornamented
with shrubbery and flower borders.
Reaches Every City School.
1.-The plan provides for sysytem
of home gardening in each city
graded school. The home garden has
many advantages over the so-caIled
school garden where a large number
OF children are brought together and
! each given small plot of ground on
which to plant few pennies worth
: of seeds, The child's garden in the
home back yard, when under school
supervision, will supply every school
} tunity offered by the scholo garden
and will do much more. 1t assures a
closer relationship between home and