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Show BEPOBT OF SOPEEINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCKOOLS. 397 . More schools have established them, and, where sufficient land E b e e n available, existing ones have been extended. The system of having individual garden plots for each pupil has been productive of excellent results, and has infused into the pupils a spirit of emulation and friendly rivalry which has led them to put forth their best efforts. The Cheyenne Boarding School, on the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reser-vation, deserves special mention for the efforts made to cultivate good gardens. The establishment of gardens serves the dual purpose of enabling all the pupils to acquire practical knowledge of gardening and ing fruit and vegetables for the school table. The Pine Rig rgoev diday-schools are good examples of the progress being.made. This year, under the direction of the energetic day-school inspector, they put forth special efforts and have had remarkable success. Each of the 29 schools had a good rdeu and the yield of vegetables, both in quality anc! quantity, waspf ?e uomenal. These supplied a very desirable addi-tion to the midday meals, and the raising of them was equally valu-able in furnishing instruction for the pupils. The girls as well as the boys are instructed in gardenmg. The average farmer's wife usually has to superintend, if not do a great deal of the work, and it is impor-tant that the Indian irls should be taught how to do it. Ou several reservations where t f e day schools cultivated good gardens tbe pupils were allowed to take home a quantity of vegetables and the 81rls were encoura ed to cook them for their parents. The old Indlans have prllcticaY l y lived on a meat diet, but through the influence of the schools are gmdually forming a taste for vegetables. This enables them to have a more varied diet, which is having a good effect upon their health. In a few instances we have observed small gardens near the cam1 s or tepees, this being the direct outcome of the instruction the chi1 ren receive in gardening at school. The efforts of the O5ce have been devoted specially during the year to uickeuin the interest of both teachers and pupils in agricultural wo%. In 31 instruction the ultimate object is constantly kept in view-to give the pu il practical training in the art of farming, which will enable him on d i n g up his allotment to wrest from it a comfort-able living for himself and his family. The work of the schools dnr-ing the year in this branch of Indian education has shown material progress. A few examples are cited to iIlustrate the good results that have followed the agricultural instruction in many schools. The Chilocco Agricultural School, Oklahoma, raised last year 800 bushels of potatoes, 5,785 K ounds of cabbage, 700 tons of hay, 1,550 bushels of oats, 5,550 bus els of wheat, and proportionately large quantities of other a icultural products. At the small boargng school at Vermilion Lake, Minn., where the season is extremely short, the frost bein out of the ground hardly three months in the year, the pupils raise! last year abont 100 bushels of potatoes, and also a uantity of garden vegetables. At the Rice station%oarding School, Arizona, a large amount of garden products were raised by the 200 full-blood Apaches, notwith-standing that this school is located in an almost arid region, which rhows what can be accomplished through industry and perseverance. |