his brother were the only ones asked to write reports. The instructor requested these only that he might have some idea of what value the trips were to the children. The writer whose essay is copied here did not mention several of the stops and has confused the order of others. Several doubtful statements are credited to the instructor, and many details are lacking. On the whole, however, it is very satisfactory.

[A boy's narrative of a trip to a farm.]

A GOOD TIME AT VISITING FARMS.

When we started Mr. Smith told us to watch all the farms and what they raised and how it was kept. We started out with four seated in the back;

A LOW GARDEN, SUBJECT TO OVERFLOW, RAISED INTO BEDS TO AVOID DAMAGE FROM WATER.

three on the floor and Mr. Smith and the chauffeur in front with a small boy on Mr. Smith's lap.

The first farm we saw was one on Teaneck Road. It had corn, spinach, and tomatoes. Farther on we saw a rhubarb farm. The plants were about 2 yards apart. You could see even paths through the plants. The rows were hoed and clean kept. Mr. Smith told us that only labor and patience could keep the garden so well.

We passed many cornfields. Our first stop was at an old school. When we went out of the auto we noticed an old bell in the tower. The first thing we did was to see who could hit the bell first. We threw for about five minutes and then the bell was hit. Afterwards Mr. Smith took out two bags of peanuts and told us to stay about 20 feet from him. He took one bag and threw the peanuts into the air. Then there was a mix-up, everybody went for the peanuts. The second bag was thrown by the chauffeur. While we were holding up our hands to catch the peanuts Mr. Smith took our picture.

A little further up the road Mr. Smith told us that we were coming to a place where celery, onions, and parsley could only be raised. This place was

once a large lake, but the trees and shrubs sucked the water out and it formed a swamp. The farmers came and girdled the trees and dug up the soil, which was very black. The soil, which is called muck, is so rich that only vegetables that need a good soil can be raised there. When we came to the place we saw long rows of celery in a rich, black soil. Some of the rows had boards alongside of them. These boards were to keep the sun from the plants and make the stems white. The rows were about a yard and a half apart. In the middle of each row was a row of smaller plants, so when the larger ones were gone these would take their places. We came to a place where corn was growing among peach trees. This is called intercropping. When the trees get larger the farmer will have to stop planting stuff there. We saw tomatoes and potatoes growing among apple trees.

We went up a tall hill and saw for miles around farms and farms.

Our next stop was at a chicken farm. We did not see many chickens because they were in the fields. The farm had an incubator that contained more

than a hundred cells and 48 eggs in each cell. The incubator contains 7,800 eggs. When the young chickens are old enough they are put in small coops. In the center of every coop is a round cover with small pieces of cloth hanging down. This is used as a mother.

We left this farm and rode around. Then we went to a duck farm. We went into the house where they make the food for the ducks. This is done by machinery. The farm held 18,000 ducks. The coops held ducks of different sizes. All you could hear was Quack." The incubator room was so hot that we had to run out. Mr. Smith took our picture watching the ducks.

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From here we went home. On our way we passed the Tenafly School gardens and the Cleveland School gardens. At the end of the trip we found that we had gone 30 miles in three and one-half hours.

I forgot to tell you about the pole-bean farm we saw by the schoolhouse. In whatever direction you looked was a straight line of poles.

It can plainly be seen that the essay is not a lesson in composition, although it might well be made so. Some confusion is evident. For

instance, the boy received a hazy idea of the formation of muck land, probably because of the necessarily hurried way in which it was explained. He did, however, learn that there is such a soil form and that in it grows most of the onions and celery which he eats. Many first-hand impressions of his surroundings which are of value and could not otherwise be adequately taught are evident from the report.

INFORMING THE COMMUNITY.

The publicity work connected with the project was of the utmost importance. This was carried on in a variety of ways. Newspaper

articles were used extensively. Gardens were labeled, and the one used for demonstration purposes was marked with a large sign. The produce sold was advertised as being grown by the garden clubs. That from the demonstration garden was sold from house to house with the idea of bringing the work to the notice of as many persons as possible.

On the Fourth of July the local board of trade conducted a parade in which the garden clubs participated. A small float decorated with vegetables from club gardens was drawn by two boys dressed as farmers. This was followed by a procession of other boys wearing overalls and straw hats and girls decked in sunbonnets and aprons.

They all carried hoes, rakes, or banners. For their showing in this event the clubs received a special prize of $25.

Another form of publicity was the distribution of three preliminary reports. These were in typewritten form and were profusely illustrated with photographs. They were distributed in such a way that a great many persons were able to see them. Whenever one group of persons had finished with them, they were returned and sent to another group.

FOLLOW-UP PLANS.

The plans for the season of 1917 were based on the experience gained through the work done during 1916. An extension of the work with home gardens, group gardens, demonstration gardens,

and vacant-lot gardens, with slight modifications in systems of management, was provided. Plans for club organizations and competitions were based more definitely on existing school rivalry. New elements of organization and competition were introduced to meet the needs arising with a large number of vacant-lot gardens. Provision was made for some children who do not care for the clubs, but who wish to have supervised gardens. The method of registration included a personal visit to each home. Seed was sold to the pupils of all grades. Pupils below the fifth grade were not included in any of the clubs, but their gardens were visited and small premiums were awarded to the best of them. The record forms to be used by the children and the instructor were revised. Besides continuing on a

larger scale the methods of instruction used in 1916, lantern slides for explaining different operations were employed. Additional help for the supervisor was provided for in the new plan.

BLANKS AND CIRCULARS.

The following pages illustrate the blanks and circulars used. The record book used by the child and the teacher's record sheet were slightly revised for use during the season of 1917. The main features are the same, but some changes have been made to meet a few new conditions which have arisen. For instance, the old record provides for no place in which the child could keep a record of money loaned to it for seed and plowing. With large gardens coming into favor, a need for such a form has arisen. Most of the printing was done by the school vocational class.

A student's record. The following completed record is not the best from the standpoint of neatness and literary execution. It was selected because the boys (two brothers) who operated the garden probably learned more about intensive garden practice than any of the other members of the clubs. They also kept their financial record in a creditable manner. How new they were to this work is evidenced by the fact that these two boys spaded under an unused back yard last season to make their first trial at garden work. In some instances the certificates of only one of the boys are shown.