A BAD LEG FOR SIX YEARS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2855, 2 December 1908, Page 87

A BAD LEG FOR SIX YEARS.

Pbonockced Incubable— Axotheb ZauBex Triumph. " Zam-Buk Balm has done wonders fo» m-e," writes Mrs C. Bannon, of 53 Ken* street, Sydney. "For six years I suffered the most dreadful agony with a bad le«, during which time I was attended by private doctors, and attended the Sydney Hospital. Also, for twelve months this nursing sisters dressed the wound. Tho I leg, however, in spite of all this treatment, became worse. It presented a fearful sight, being swollen and inflamed, and a large hole formed that defied all the efforts of nurses and doctors to heal. The agony I went through during those six years /< could not describe, finally, the doctors informed me that they could do no more> and that I w«a incurable. On the advice of a friend I tried Zam-Buk Balm. The? effect was wonderful, for the wound healed: rapidly, and now I am perfectly cured. £ often look back and think what agony J* might have avoided if I had used Zaan> Buk long ago. I give you this teatimoniai without fee or reward, in the hope that anyone suffering similarly may benefit thereby, and give Zam-Buk Balm a. trial 'f Zam-Buk is the ideal summer -skin-balm, it» soothing, cooling, and healing virtues malb* inf it invaluable for sunburn, freckleiv" prickly hea*. rash, sore feet, smarting-;, patches, mosquito and other insect btfces.', nettlerash, and other skin troubles so pre, v tv n r during tn « summer months. Obtainable from all chemists and stores at la 6a\ or 3s 6d large family pot (contains nearly four timc3 the Is 6dJ.

EDUCATION AND SCHOOL GARDENS IN OTAGO _. — ♦ By " Education Student." The first district in New Zealand tc enter upon this important phase of primary education, Otago still holds a leading position in spite of the fact that her teachers have not had the advantage of an expert's advice and aid. Going back as far as 1884, I find that prizes were offered by the Dunedin Horticultural Society for children's exhibits — floTal designs and cut flowers. The first teacher to introduce the school garden into the programme of work was Mr G. B. Clark, of Allanton, then at Waiwera. This was in 1891. The line "" of work pursued was floriculture and shrubbery work, with elementary botany teaching. At first the parents looked upon the project with indifferent toleration, which soon gave way to warm appreciation. With CMr Clark gardening was an enthusiastic hobby, and) as personal taste merely induced him to adopt this method of teachJ ing and training, he made no endeavour to . push the work beyond his own school. As ' | a result of this enterprise he says that the r » | children certainly developed a. more pleal" i surable interest in their school. For the '• work done the inspectors expressed admirab tion, consideiing that for the children the I, I garden was an education in itself. From s | this single garden in 1891 the movement t ! gradually developed to 62 in 1907. The :- j year after the Waiwera garden was 6tarted j Arbor Day was observed in that district j for the first time. " Teachers, committees, '■ and the general public," 6ays the report, | "heartily approved of this observance, and _ several thousand trees were planted." The £ report for 1903 gav6 that "in rural schools the elements of agriculture are very genert ally taught as the sole science subject," . but that while " a good deal of useful infor- . mation is no doubt gained from these les- _ sons, the treatment very seldom possesses any value as a mental training." The inspectors condemn the text-book used by the pupils, and cannot suggest a suitable } one. Although by this time Mr A. Morris , Baraett (of Waitahuna Gully) and Mr J. X. Stewart (of Clinton) h-id incorporated school jErr.rdens in their schemes of school work, the inspectors had not yet come to see the value of this medium sufficiently to suggest the garden as the text-book for elementary agriculture. At Waitahuna Gully Mr Bamett met Herr H-enriot j Hagen, who on heaiing of the teacher's [ desire for a school garden set about pre- : paring a piot- 30ft square for flowers. ■ This was in 1892. Concerning the value : of the training, Mr Bamett considers this | the one form of manual training by which the majority of country school children can gain something. -In a neighbouring cchool (Clinton) Mr Stewart in 1893 began email I flowers gardens for the elder giils in. which great interest was taken by the pupi's and in a helpful way by the I parents. Later, when capitation was granted, Mr Stevrart (then at Waikouaiti) commenced on a loree scale. One acre in quarter-acre plot? it as d-evoted to vegetables r.Jid a one r ighth-aore plot to flowers. To Mr _ Stewart, I believe, belongs the credit of seeing in the school garden a medium of teaching of aimest universal application. Hence he is called "the father of school gardens in Otago," not because he fiist started a school garden, but because, after putting the :<fra to a thoroughly practical tost, he urged the value of this work in all schools. He considers the value of school gardens very great educationally. It a child," he says, "be taught to observe and understand one thing, such as a plant, the eyes of his mind are brought into foene, and he will see and understand things that would otherwise b» vague or escape him." He emphasises the utility j point of view, considering the product very ; important, and believes that the tcache>- \ who is also a gardener might be influen- I tial in introducing more suitable vegetables I and better cultural methods into his district. In 1895 the board appointed a special commits to report on " The ' i - Q e a C i v .V ca ,l and Manual Instruction Act I ; iittt). ln» committee reported that "to 1 j be ot any value in the proce.-e of education j such instruction must be conducted on scientific p-lnclp'w. and to this end skilled instructors are ab^lutely nece.-sarv." Durine i\us yea/ Mr <1. M. Bmlmson started school ca-anj-. ;rv th_ bo;-* of the Caver- ! sham Ind^tnnl ,-<Jiool 5 Mr John Hiv-nt \ being the in.-ir.jc.tor. The exhibits of I vegetable* and flowers of t'n\ school at the Hort .cultural .So<Jetv-_ show always attracted a consi<fc la bl_ amount of interest. In their 1093 report the inspectors y that when elementary airncultui-e k cJic-eii as the «i«nce subject "ihc-v expe,t to find the cluW™,. nested in the agucuituu,! ' and borticultuial woik of the neighborhood, tp to 1903 the reports on th* teaching of elementary a.ricultuie L there were no gardens are"invariahlv " vi - • satisfactory " In 1399 wo ar <> toM tl^t " text-book learning routes no inte>e,- •*. rural Jifr and occupations. J n ISOl'th,. i report deplores that, win], element, rv «r»cu ural botany is the brs. S of <nstn£ tion this is precisely the subject for tlie teaching of which we have not mil quate provision in the training college \ n attempt was made to remedy this in th» ! appointment of Mr David Stewart h"id I master of the Model School and instrac- I ' tor in agriculture at the college ; ba* I ' necessarily the text-book is paramount at ] the college. The true remedy is for tho : Training College to have sufficient giound , for a garden. But our four Training Col- ! leges ,n New -Zealand are in the midst of ' cities. The 1902 report says that agricul- I ture is generally taught In our coantrv I . schools, but seldom satisfactorily The ; inspectors say that - a beginning has been ; made in cottage gardening, and we shall '. watch its development with interest." Th-- '. next year, when 15 gardens were in opeia- ' \ tion. tney report that "co far cottage gar- ! . aening is a decided access." Fiom this on ' , the number of gardens tteachly increased I and were always reported "as proving I highly successful. "We have nothing but , ! praise for the enthusiasm with which our ' flOUAtry teachers have entered u£on this I

department of work." The report of 1905 i contains an account of the work done at one school. Sixteen varieties of potatoes and 11 other vegetables were tested, the results being recorded and tabulated. There were at this time 34 schools with gardens, and the board was of opinion that "the {time hadi arrived when a J specialist m agricultural subjects should s be appointed." And now, three years s later, the time has again arrived when they are of that opinion. Capitation of 5s v of avera S e attendance was granted f in 1903, which was reduced in 1904 to 2s ■ 6d. But in 1908 this capitation has been raised to 5s in the case of districts having k a special instructor in the work. It should therefore not now be a financial objection * which prevents the appointment of an I instructor in Otago. I n 1906, when more - v a g arden * wre in operation, the board came to the conclusion that "the school garden is an indispensable adjunct i to the teaching of elementary agriculture. As a consequence an endeavour - was made to assist teachers, the board procuring the services of Mr Tannock , as , instructor m a fortnightly winter class I * mis class was very successful in its Avav, I » * ,1* WaS merely P alliative - The success I - oi this work m its educative aspect de- ■ pends not on what we shall teach, but I ' how we shall teach it. Matter is quite ; secondary to method. The report of - the same year "notes with regret that i m but few instances is Arbor Day work > maintained." The inspectors say that in > gardening teachers have been feeling their i ■ way, generally giving prominence to the i ; industrial aspect. "It now remains to •' i give less attention to this aspect, and i . more to experiment, observation, and expression." In 1907 there were 62 schools > j earning capitation in this work, and as i I have pointed out before, Otao-o has dropped from the first to the. third place I m the number of gardens. In defending ' the work against press criticism the in- ! spectors last year say that for the work accomplished "at great inconvenience and with much labour the teachers deserve ungrudged praise." How much of this inconvenience and labour could have been ! saved if, instead of dragging from their J homes and families during winter in j Dunedin 50 teachers jadeH with the week's work, one itinerant, instructor were on the permanent staff. This, I submit, was perfectly feasible, and finan- ! cially and, in respect of conserving tin energy - of the board's servants, economic At present there is no organisation of th< work throughout the district. One schoo carries on field experiments on a seal* large enough for a district high school, Many schools are at work on vegetables flowers, and native plants. A smallei number ha s in hand work in pruning grafting, and budding. The following table shows -the financial aspect of the work :—: — Expeu- Cr. Receipts. diture. Balance j 1905 .. .. £273 13 11 £103 17 1 £169 16 10 IM6 .. .. 189 0 7 51 19 3 137 1 4 1907 .. .. 180 8 1 137 18 9 42 9 4 Total J6349 7 "g" A point about this capitation is that it represents only a very small proportion of the total grant for manual and technical instruction. The benefit of the remainder is reaped, not by the children in rural schools, but almost wholly by those attending city classes or classes in .arge towns. For instance, last year, out of a total grant for manual and technical instruction of some £2000, children in country schools representing more than half the total number of pupils would not benefit to the extent of £500. The point in this, of course, is that by placing this garden and agriculture work on a broader basis country children, in nearer proportion to their numbers, will benefit by the Government grant, and they will do so in a way which has already received the approval of the board and been stamped by the inspectors with the hall mark of " a decided success." " The making of a definite garden is an epoch in the life of* each pehool : it. murks the t>rosrrci3s of the schools in pedagogical i<W-V The srhool gaixJeiii of Knrope have emphasised the economic and industrial rather than the educative aspect. In Russia the aim is instruction of the peasantry in farming; in Germany it is culture of fruit and vegetables; in England the aim has been agricultural education. Switzerland alone has made ] ro'ipnent the asoeri of forma) discipline and training. In America training has overshadowed informathe instruction. Tn Europe the object of school aardenr is threefold : to supplement the teacher'? income ; to promote practical knowledge; and to provide a medium for the teaching of botany. Tn America, on "the other \. .••"!. the syinnipfrical education of the "■'-viJual is the fi:s* consideration. The : -.\er culti\ates the pupil; the prn'l , titivates the garden. To the teacher the 1 "lpii is ihe end. the pardon is tlio ".s^ans. A well-ordeied pupil in a well- * -''-ered garden : ho secures th<* first 1." rr-?\u of the eploikl. Kducationallv, 'f,o ci-hcol garden is a healthful in the fj^-.'i s.v- and from the present hurtful inactivity of the sc>oolroom. Boilily maturity coming lon^ hefore maturity of spirit," the school garden affords prone for the motor activities. Thp garden is a medium of impression and expression, and woikin^ in the con(veto makes the text-book on am i,-ulluve unnecessary in primary school.*, beside.* preparing the imatres for definite visualisinT; when, after thp primary schools are passed, tlio text-hook is taken in hand. Plant and animal life are ttudi^l und«r normal conditions, a bird in the br.sh b?ing worth two in the hand. Observation of cause and effect h«nbitu->]lv develops a better appreciation of an intelligent ordering of all thing?. Hahits ot accuracy and scientific method are promoted. The discipline and moral tone of the school are irnoroved. From thf noint of view of the State the cardan develops a wide interest in the fundamental industry of the country. It cultivates a sense of ownership and n spirit of co-operation and mutual respect for others' rights. It checks the tendency of the population to gravitate

' towards cities. Historically, the curriculum of the primary school emanates from the university. This new movement emanates from the child. The scholastic point of view is language, mathematics, and science ; the child's point of view is animate life and natural phenomena. The present-day problem of primary education is the welding of these two into an organic whole. In its solution the greatest factor that presents itself is the school garden.