the freedom of the garden. "Not if I correlate," she answered. "They are so full of the work that a reading lesson about gardens gets their attention better than some other subject might. The freehand cutting and painting of garden tools, and of radishes that grow in our garden, were especially well done, no doubt because so near to their interests." Another teacher said, "I have understood and enjoyed my children better this year, and feel an improvement in my health over the closing weeks of other years."

How everybody worked when the time came to go out into the gardens! It was almost a repetition of last year's work, as so much of it was new ground. The children handled the different tools, digging, raking, and clearing out objectionable matter. Our janitor

gave most willingly his assistance, and has worked untiringly with a real interest since the first day, although he is not expected to share the work in any way. The older boys have helped mornings before school and often we would find them carrying loam to the different plots with the wheelbarrow, collecting clay, stones, etc., on their return trip, which they wheeled away to the rubbish heap, bringing out the tools or running the lawn mower. No work is ever assigned to these boys. They ask if they may help and willingly undertake any part of it. It was fun to see our little four-year-olds rush for the wheelbarrow or lawn mower when they came into the garden. Several of them could manage the wheelbarrow, and they would play they were the street cleaning department, and

Surely here was forethought. Almost all children choose nasturtiums or sweet peas. One little girl wanted sunflowers, because the chickens liked the seeds. The boys are anxious to plant pumpkin seeds, with a jack-o'lantern in mind.

It is not always possible to give entire freedom to the children in their choice of seeds. We plan to give symmetry and order to the garden as a whole, and this adds materially to the educative value of the work. We have a large crescent-shaped bed, and that, with the flowers along the fence and the mounds, gives opportunity for general care and coöperative work to quick children. We have golden glow, sunflowers, corn, beans, and tall flowers in the beds farthest back, the low growing flowers and vegetables in front.

This year, with individual gardens, each child has planted two vege

tables and two flowers. One vegetable matures above and one below the ground, as lettuce and radish, beets and peas, turnips and beans.

The vegetables made an early showing. We had fine radishes June 6, with peas and beans in blossom soon after. The flowers came up more slowly, but are in their prime at the opening of school in the fall.

During the summer our janitor and a number of others have offered to take care of the gardens. The children know that they can come Saturday mornings, do any necessary work in their gardens, and take home any thing that is ready.

The closing week of school the parents were invited to visit the kindergarten. We were delighted to notice their interest in every song and game and piece of work,--but the gardens!

Why, some of the mothers, when they found which was Helen's or Willie's, got right down and began pulling weeds and instructing the children. about transplanting, where the plants were crowded. They were all enthusiasm and the work took on a new interest when we saw their satisfaction. Several mothers have brought their cameras and taken pictures in the gardens.

The neighbors say they cannot work while the children are in the gardens, it is such a temptation to watch them. People have stopped while passing to tell us what a pleasure the gardens are to them on their way back and forth, and liken it to a park with its shrubbery, green grass, and spreading elm trees. the rubbish heap, where we great many seeds, is now

Even

hid a

a green

mound with sunflowers, beans, morning-glories, and gourds in friendly proximity. We have taught the children that through their personal efforts unsightly places can be made beautiful.

The home interest is very encouraging. One father sent some rosebush cuttings that are growing nicely. Tools and seeds have been inquired about, and bulbs and seedlings of different kinds brought to us. I have noticed great improvement in many back yards that heretofore have been neglected. Several of our interested children, having no yards, coaxed for boxes on their porches, where they

planted seeds with splendid results, and in other ways show an appreciation and enjoyment of nature's blessings.

Many lessons have been quietly taught of helpfulness, self-reliance, unselfishness and respect of others' rights.

Very little damage has ever been done and very few things taken. And this in the face of the fact that our garden plot is on the line of travel from street to street, the school itself but two short blocks from our main street, and in a district where there are over three thousand children within five blocks.

IT has long seemed to me that the riches of modern art reproduction should be made more available in the kindergarten. I do not mean for wall decoration, delightful and indispensable as that certainly is. I mean something even nearer to the children, i. e., giving the little Perry, Brown, Cosmos, or other "penny pictures," for them to have as their own, and making these pictures so valuable in the children's eyes and so connected with their work and thought that the pictures will not be tossed idly aside because "unrelated." So for the past few years I have been gradually working out a little series of pictures to be combined with out

line sewing in such a way as to make the children familiar with at least a few of the best known pictures, and at the same time to make the pictures themselves emphasize and reënforce the thoughts that have been central ones in our year's work.

I should say here that the sewing part of the work is for the older children, that the little ones are not ready for sewing of any kind, and that a "baby series" is in process of evolution. With this introduction, let me describe the series as worked out at present.

Beginning in September with the thought of the family, the picture selected was Millet's The First Step,