Evening star., 1938-05-15
Beautiful School Landscaping
Is Mrs. AIburtis' Monument
Energy and Foresight of Pioneer Nature
Teacher Brought Loneliness and
Life to Baked Mud Yards.

SOulu OOllC Ill Vic
grounds Of Washington's public school
plants
The place to start the nature mis-
sionary reasoned, was at the Franklin
School, then temporarily housing the
Wilson Normal School, and then, as
now, headquarters for the executive
ofices of Washington's public school
system.
Project Sets Example.
The whole project proved itself a
shining example of what the will to
do can achieve through the whole
hearted cooperation of the enthusi-
astic labor, properly directed. The
Department Of Agriculture, supplied
the grass seed, shrubbery and plants
and garden implements. and its ex-
perts carefully planned out the project
with Mrs. Alburtis. The Franklin
Schools white and colored janitorial
force caught the gardening spirit and
out OF their own limited leisure time
contributed hours of labor as their
part in making "our school grounds"
set The example for the city.
Small armies of boys and girls from
the classes then in attendance at the
Franklin School under the supervision
OF normal school students with Mrs.
Alburtis, created modern miracle.
Mud banks were terraced, drained and
planted with grass seed, Towering and
shrubs were maSsed against the anci-
ent buildings walls, and there was
trim loveliness where previously an
eye-sore had existed. Pictures of be-
fore and after effects were taken by a
friendly press and the Department Of
agriculture experts, 50 that by the
close Of the school session Of 1903, the
fame Of the gardening experiments in
Washington's public school system
had gone far and wide One school
system after another in other cities
took up the idea.
But the test was whether the work
done during the school session was to
endure during the vacation months.
In those days Congressional appro-
priations did not include janitorial
service for the maintenance of school
grounds The nature study teacher and
her volunteer corps had met the situa-
ton while school was In session. What.
inquired Supt Stuart, was to happen
to all that had been created when vaca-
tion time came.
I am planning to stay in the city,"
said Mrs. Alburtis, land by means of
volunteer groups Of normal school
students q nd pupils in the Franklin
School. keep it going the way it
should" And she did.
Wins Permanent Victory.
Thus the first victory was won for
landscaping Washington's school
plants. To it, Washingtons beautifully
handicapped school grounds of today
add successive laurels.
1t was Mrs. Alburtis, too. through
the cooperation Of civic-mindcd local
seed man, who introduced to WASH
1ngton the now famous penny packages
OF seeds which are yearly bought by
thousands of school children Over Co.
600 packages were distributed the first
year the experiment was tried out in
our schools, in 1903.
Subsequently Mrs. Aburtis brought
out three bulletins for the United
States Department of Agriculture on
the subject of school gardens, the first
Of which was entitled, Mature Study
IN School Gardens In Washington. D.
c., New England and the Middle West"
She also later collaborated with the
United States Forestry Service In
bringing out bulletin entitled Trees
OF the District of Columbia"
AS a result Of her pioneer work in
nature study and gardening, Mrs. Al
burtis for four summers was a mem
Der of the Cornell University sessions,
where she was not only in close con-
tact with the leaders of the out-of-
doors movement in America, but one of
its most forceful and inspiring propo-
nents.
Her garden at 20 West Irving street,
Chevy Chase. embodies the principles
OF nature study and OF gardening which
have made her national figure.