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Some Types of Children's Garden Work
Title
Some Types of Children's Garden Work
Subject
school gardens
Excerpt
School garden work has become so general within the past five years and literature relative to the same so abundant that facts of the nature furnished in earlier reports would be superfluous, viz, what to plant, the distances apart of the rows and of the seeds in the row, and like detailed information. Teachers need now to view the garden from a higher plane — its relation to daily living, its effect upon character development, its place in the curriculum, and its relation to other subjects in the course of study. Therefore, in making this report such facts have taken a more prominent place than the ones that may be obtained from textbooks.
The individual plat system and the young gardener, owner of all he raises, is the system in vogue east of the Rockies. West of the Rockies almost invariably the commercial side holds a place of importance equal with the cultivation, but the products are sold for the benefit of the school. Children are taught business methods through the sale. The system of teaching agriculture used is always based on the best local practice and is one that children can follow intelligently, but the products are always the property of the school.
Nowhere is there systematized garden instruction in the city graded schools. In a majority of places it is still a matter of choice with the principals. Until the necessity of a specialized instructor is felt the work will not be systematized. The educational value of garden instruction is too great to allow it to be a matter of choice with teachers. There seems to be a fear among educators in official positions of burdening teachers and the course of study with new subjects.
As our modes of living improve the demand comes to the schools for practical methods dealing with the question of right living. It is safe to predict that popular demand will cause the replacement of some of our antiquated methods and subjects by systematized science lessons that will teach people how to lead more wholesome and useful lives.
The individual plat system and the young gardener, owner of all he raises, is the system in vogue east of the Rockies. West of the Rockies almost invariably the commercial side holds a place of importance equal with the cultivation, but the products are sold for the benefit of the school. Children are taught business methods through the sale. The system of teaching agriculture used is always based on the best local practice and is one that children can follow intelligently, but the products are always the property of the school.
Nowhere is there systematized garden instruction in the city graded schools. In a majority of places it is still a matter of choice with the principals. Until the necessity of a specialized instructor is felt the work will not be systematized. The educational value of garden instruction is too great to allow it to be a matter of choice with teachers. There seems to be a fear among educators in official positions of burdening teachers and the course of study with new subjects.
As our modes of living improve the demand comes to the schools for practical methods dealing with the question of right living. It is safe to predict that popular demand will cause the replacement of some of our antiquated methods and subjects by systematized science lessons that will teach people how to lead more wholesome and useful lives.
Creator
Sipe, Susan B.
Date
1912
Relation
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Office of Experiment Stations. Bulletin Number 252
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