GARDEN CLUBS IN THE SCHOOLS OF

ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

AUSPICES.

The garden clubs of the Englewood schools were organized during the summer of 1916 and were directed by the local board of education and the superintendent of schools through a supervisor of gardens employed for this special purpose. Owing to the experimental nature of the work and the lack of funds at the command of the board of education, the enterprise was financed in part by the Civic Association of Englewood and in part by the State of New Jersey, under the provisions of its manual training laws. In July, 1917,

PART OF THE SPRING TRIALS FOR A STEADY JOB.

however, that part of the expense hitherto met by the Civic Association was assumed by the board of education.

PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.

Englewood is a suburban residential city of about 12,000 inhabitants. In its vacant lots and back yards it has an abundance of land suitable for gardening. Much of the city lies in the desirable sandy loam soils of northern New Jersey. It is not a locality without obstacles, however. A considerable part of the inhabited area is on the swampy lowlands at the head of the New Jersey salt meadows,

and another section is on the rough western slope of the Hudson River palisades, where suitable locations are difficult to find. Many of the children's homes are dingy quarters in crowded

tenements throughout a limited congested district in the low-lying area, so that the contact with nature afforded by the garden work is wonderfully inspiring; and it is especially gratifying to the interested

"WHAT HAS EATEN INTO THE HEART OF MY CORN STALK?"

adults. For instance, one high-school boy, who in the spring of 1916 planned great things, said that he had no place for a garden but suggested carrying a little earth to the roof of the tenement

in which he lived. He is now operating a garden of 3 acres in partnership with two other boys. What a little garden work will do for a boy is also brought out by another member of the same partnership. He is the only one of the three who has the good fortune to live in a house surrounded by a yard. In the spring of 1916 this boy displayed his lack of knowledge concerning the out-of-door world by saying, "Last year I planted some seeds about a foot in the ground, and I don't see why they didn't come up, because I sure did plant them good and deep." The fact that he has undertaken a task as large as tthe pesent one is in itself proof of what he has gained.

Aside from the common-sense information concerning the out of doors derived from such an enterprise as these boys are undertaking, the business training secured by planning, managing, selling the products, and recording the results of their work is, of signifi

RESULTS.

cant value to all the children, very rich and very poor, and of perplexing racial differences such as are found in the suburbs of a great city. All kinds of business, from the most gigantic commercial and banking undertakings known to New York City to the most limited second-hand dealing and pawn brokerage, will be the life work of these boys, sons of men who are at present engaged in such occupations.

As in all other public-school activities, equality of opportunity is especially marked in the garden club groups. The home life, as well. as the school life, of each member becomes familiar to the others of the group, with its undeniable influence in bettering that of all the members. In this association, it is almost impossible for any member to overlook the sterling qualities in his club mates. Community

101258°-17-Bull. 26-2

of effort teaches helpfulness and cooperation, not by theoretical expression, but by vitalized experience. The boys from the rich homes and from the poor find much in common.

ORGANIZATION.

Registration. When the proper time came the superintendent of schools briefly explained the undertaking to all the children of each school in a general assembly. The supervisor then gave some further instructions and distributed registration blanks. These were taken home by all the children electing the work, filled out, and returned the next day. At this time the supervisor of gardens went over the slips with the principal of the school, whose approval every participant was required to have. If the blank was not satisfac

A GROUP OF GIRLS LEARNING HOW TO SPADE.

torily filled out, but the child approved, the parents were visited by the supervisor and the blank corrected. Each child who was thus registered then took complete charge of his project, which he was expected to carry out with the supervision and advice of his parents and of the supervisor of gardens. The project, aside from caring for a garden, included the maintenance of a careful record of all activities connected with it.

The records of the children.-This record when complete contains certificates of recommendation and approval; personal information concerning the child; a photograph of the child in his garden; a working plan of the garden drawn to scale; an itemized and summarized financial account; a record of marks given the garden by the instructor on visits to the garden; and a story of the season's work in essay form.

1 See section on "Blanks and Circulars" (p. 29) for this record blank.

Division of pupils.-All the children undertaking the work were organized into clubs of about 15 members each, of about the same age, of the same sex, and from the same school. By this plan all the homes of the children in each club were close enough so that each member could see what the others were doing. Each club was organized and conducted by the children under the direction of the supervisor. The clubs were merely a division of the children for convenience in supervision and instruction.

A competition.-The members of each club competed among themselves for inexpensive prizes. The children were to have been marked on the basis of 100 per cent as perfect, with one-third of the credit coming from their garden, one-third from their records, and one-third from the showing which they made at the exhibit. This

ANOTHER GROUP IN THE SAME YARD RAKING THEIR PRACTICE PLAT.

method of calculation had to be abandoned on account of the board of health ruling, however, and instead, three-fourths credit was given on the garden and one-fourth on the record. The premiums awarded on this basis were buttons from a progressive series designed to be awarded for achievement. The same series is used in the boys' and girls' clubs of the United States Department of Agriculture. From each club the contestant having the highest average was given one of the first buttons of the series made of rolled gold. The contestant having the second highest average was given one of the same buttons made of sterling silver. All the other members having an average of 75 per cent or above received a bronze button of the same design. The competitor who had the highest average of all the pupils of all the clubs received one of the second buttons of the series made of solid gold. The same series of buttons will be used progressively in the future.