SCHOOL GARDEN.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2789, 12 May 1911, Page 2

SCHOOL GARDEN.

A NEW DEPARTURE.

The starting of a garden at the Paeroa. School, to be managed -by the pupils, has been discussed at various, times during the past two years, but up to the present nothing definite has been done. Certainly a lew tlower beds were laid out last year in the school grounds, but the interest in the matter was only temporary, and the ground soon reverted to its former state. Since then, however, the teaching of agriculture and " Nature study" has taken a more prominent place on the school syllabus, and so as to give the children efficient instruction

it is necessary to have a properly managed school garden. It had been the intention of the local committee at first to clear and fence the extra reserve obtained last year,.and to utilise portion of the ground for a garden. So far the committee has not the funds in hand to enable this to be done, and as the agriculture classes have to be started at

once it was necessary to obtain another site. The headmaster (Mr F. Murphy) recommended to the Schpol Committee that a portion of the ground at the head of the boys' playground might be used for the purpose, and so that there should be no delay Messrs Black, McWatters', and Niccol were appointed a sub-com-mittee to visit the ground and come Ho a decision on the matter. The visit of inspection was made on Wednesday afternoon, and the sub-committee decided that the site recommended by the headmaster woujd be suitable. It is about forty yards long and ten yards wide/and it will be enclosed with a wire netttng fence. Just at present the ground does not look very promising, but when the energy of a large number of children under the supervision of the teachers is applied to the job of clearing and digging up the ground there should soon be shown considerable improvement. The intention is to have a pathway down the centre of the garden, with beds on both sides, and the garden should, when

completed, improve the appearance of the school grounds.