IN THE MACDONALD SCHOOL GARDENS. N the spring of 1904 a group of school gardens went into operation in each of the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. These school gardens are associated with Sir William C. Macdonald's plans for the improvement of Canadian schools, and they constitute a notable feature of the general scheme devised by Professor James W. Robertson, director of the Macdonald educational movement. While the idea of using gardens as a means of social improvement is, perhaps, as old as civilization, they do not thus far appear to have been incorporated into the school system of any state as a distinctly educational factor. A brief reference to the growth of the idea may therefore help to place the Macdonald school gardens in their true relation. According to Biblical tradition, a garden was recognized as an appropriate environment for the childhood of the race. King Solomon, who lived about 1015 B.C., was distinguished among other things for his plant lore, and it seems reasonable to assume that his extensive gardens, in which he kept all kinds of plants, were a means of useful knowledge as well as ornament. Six centuries before the Christian era Cyrus the Elder established the first school gardens in Persia. In these gardens Persian boys, particularly the sons of noblemen, received instruction in horticulture. Early in the fourteenth century some cities of Italy had gardens in which were grown plants from different parts of the world. In 1525 Gaspar de Gabriel, a wealthy Italian nobleman, laid out a botanical garden in Tuscany, and shortly after the revival of learning all the leading cities of Italy possessed such gardens. This example was soon followed by France and Spain, chiefly at the universities. However, it can scarcely be claimed that the celebrated Jardin des Plants originated in the desire to promote education, as it was established toward the end of the sixteenth century for the express purpose of furnishing new floral designs for the em broiderers of court gowns. About the same time an interest in botanic gardens was awakened in Germany, where they were usually associated with the universities. In 1695 Auguste Francke established a school garden in connection with his orphan asylum at Halle. In this garden the orphans worked during their leisure. Thus far, and for many generations later, the idea of the garden as a special agency of elementary education found no definite embodiment, though it clearly was advocated by the great leaders of education from the days of Comenius, who declared that a garden should be connected with every school where the children can leisurely be taught to enjoy trees, flowers and herbs. Rousseau, in his "Emile", points out the importance of garden work as a factor in education. The philanthropists were at one with the educators on this point. Of school gardens Salzmann asserted that they were laid out neither to draw the attention of passers-by, nor to give great returns, but to instruct." Pestalozzi, likewise, insisted on work in field and garden for its educational value. Froebel, who founded the first kindergarten in 1840, and who believed so much in making education a means of joy to children, advised having gardens for them as a true school of happy occupation. In some parts of Germany, notably Schleswig-Holstein in 1814, and Nassau in 1817, provision was made for instruction in the rural schools in the culture of fruits and vegetables. In 1819 the village schools of Prussia began to give some instruction in agriculture. The example was followed later by Bavaria, Wurtemberg and other states, the aim in all classes being economic rather than educational. But by very force of the economic advantage anticipated, much stress was laid on the preparation of teachers for the garden work wherever it was introduced, and it will be at once apparent how influential were the labours of these early apostles of agricultural education in preparing the public mind of Germany for the large place agriculture occupies in her systems of education to-day. Oldenburg and Bavaria have made special progress in this direction. For the past thirty years, plant study has been a special feature in both the elementary and secondary schools of Berlin. Every summer morning two large wagons bring their |