es, but for the most part in
undesirable corners that the park gardener is willing to relinquish for
the good of the cause. In Riverside Park the plat is adjacent to the
summer playground, and the second year that I had the garden, at the
end of June when school closed, a few of the children volunteered to
attend to it during vacation.

[Illustration: GIRL INTEREST]

The interest of these children attracted the attention of the director
of the playground and she offered to oversee the work while the
playground was in session if some of her children might have the
privilege of working in the garden.

This proved to be an amicable arrangement, as by it the garden was kept
in good condition all summer. When school opened in September I took
charge again, that the children might have the full experience. In my
memory lingers a most vivid picture of a cold November afternoon when
we gathered what remained of the crops, cleaned off the beds, heaped
the refuse in the center of the garden, and had a most glorious
bonfire, though it was not election day. We watched the last spark die
out, closed the gate, and with regretful steps wended our way back to
the schoolroom, to await the coming of another spring.

Our plat measures fifty by twenty-five feet and is enclosed by a fence.
The park gardener became interested in the children's effort and added
to the success of the work by giving the necessary top soil, lending
wheelbarrows, and offering occasional suggestions.

[Illustration: MAY I COME IN?]

As a preparation for the outside work we made a thorough study of soil
composition and seed germination early in the winter. The children
brought pieces of rock, pebbles, shells, wood, and leaves as concrete
illustrations and with these before us the following lessons were
developed:--

I That soil is made from the wasting away of all kinds of rock.
II That soil is made by decaying wood.
III That soil is made by decaying leaves.
IV That the above composites combine to form productive soil.

The object of the first lesson was to teach that soil is made from
rock.

The pupils examined stones, pebbles, and shells. They found some
rough, some smooth. Through the teacher's questions--"Why are some
rough?" "Why are some smooth?" "If those having a smooth surface now
were once rough, what has become of the particles which must have
broken away?"--the class was led to express opinions until the final
generaliza