SCHOOL GARDENS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 265, 5 August 1937, Page 2

SCHOOL GARDENS

Last Season’s Major Experiment

REPORT ON CARROT CROP

The major experimental crop in school gardens in the Wellington Education Board’s district for the 1936-37 season was carrots, and a report has now been completed summarising the statements sent in by individual schools and the observations of the agricultural instructors. Three varieties of carrot seed, Red Altrincham, Gtierande and White Belgian (a qattle carrot), were sent to the schools, together with suggestions for sowing, general care and attention of the crop and a suggested course of theoretical and experimental ipdoor work based on the outdoor work being done in the school-garden.

With the potentialities of the three varieties of carrots already well known to practical agriculturists, the' aim, of the experiment was not to throw undue emphasis on a determination of the competitive value of the roots harvested—though from the ■ children’s point of view that added to the interest of the experiment—but rather to aim at work which would ■ provide scope for continuous observation from the sowing to the harvesting of the crop, the compilation by the children of their observations, the setting out of the results obtained and attempts to solve certain problems suggested. Poor Results Generally.

The total number of reports received was only 38, this being largely accounted for by the fact that the closing of the schools during February meant an unusually long break in the middle of the growing season of the crop* from the middle of December, 1936, to March 1, 1937. In the majority of schools, that break was disastrous to the success of the crop sown in the school garden. In addition, the was wet at sowing time, with a dry month soon after, followed by steady rainy months. These accounted for the poor results generally. Where cultivation and consistent attention were given, however, excellent results were obtained, a number of reports being quite full and several containing useful and interesting information. In the majority of cases the ground was trenched in the autumn and left in a winter fallow. Frequently, blue lupins were sown as a winter cover crop. In the spring, the seed bed was prepared for the reception of the carrot crop. Where manure or fertiliser was added the supply usually ’ given was wood ashes or compost, or both. The dates of sowing varied from the end of August In one case to October 20 in another. In most schools, however, sowing took place during the first fortnight of the third term—the third or fourth week in September. Germination Good. Except in the case of the early-sown crop, which was followed by nearly a month of rainy weather, the germination of the crop was uniformly good, and the average period from the sowing to the first appearance of the crop above the ground, was 14 days. In a few cases of early sowing which showed failures In germination probably because of over-wet soil, a second sowing was carried out. Intercultivation of the crop and weeding were regularly carried out in the majority of schools during November and December. As the season advanced the plants were thinned, generally to about sin. apart in the rows. There was considerable variation of ■growth throughout the district. The long break which occurred when the schools closed in February i because of the infantile paralysis epidemic, undoubtedly had a bad general effect on the growth of the crop and on the garden experimental work. Abnormally wet weather aided weeds, but proved unfavourable to the growth of good quality roots. In comparatively, few cases was anything in the way of cultivation and attention carried out during the holidays—probably in only about 20 of the 200 schools. Carrots Stolen. The report records a number of complaints that, on returning to school after the long holiday period, it was found that the carrots had been stolen from the school garden. Where these cases of petty theft were recorded, it was usually the red varieties of table carrots which were taken 1 ; the White Belgian (a field carrot) being left. “In some school districts the trouble is a recurrent one,” the report states. “It is all the more despicable when it is realised how interested, in many cases, both children and teachers had been in the growth of their crops and the amount of work they had done in encouraging a worth while crop to grow, often under really difficult conditions.” Typical of the good yields obtained where cultivation and adequate attention wore given are the results from the following six schools, given in tons to ßedAltmchani: 43, 35, 24 1-3, 34, °2 ' Guerande: 26J, 31, 21i, 43, 34, 32J White Belgian: 281, 09, 47 1-3, 43, 34. 32} "liiese were good average yields under the conditions existing during the 1936-37 Season. In schools where the carrot cron was harvested and records of yield X ’.lined, the White Belgian variety in the majority of cases, gave the heaviest yield, Red Altrincham was second, and Guerande came third. "The main value of the experiment;” states the report In conclusion, “lay in the educational aspect Of the work. The instructors found that the children take a keen interest in that form of garden experimental work and the teachers, as a whole, welcome the method of suggesting a definite crop to be grown ,as the main experimental crop for the year. A larger number of the school reports received this year were elaborated from the children’s own observations and dated records, written up in the class record books of garden work. That was a desirable objective—the children cultivating and tending the crop in the garden ought to have the educational experience also of compiling the final report.”